Pair ordered to pay Dh1m blood money

Dubai: A driver and a student have been jailed and ordered to pay Dh1 million in blood money to two families, whose five children were killed in a tragic accident in February.

The Dubai Traffic Court of First Instance yesterday sentenced both J.S., the 20-year-old Asian driver, and N.T., the 21-year-old Gulf national student, to one month in jail.

Presiding Judge Dr Abdullah Al Shamsi held J.S. and N.T. liable for the death of three Iraqi sisters, children from one family, and a 13-year-old Iraqi boy and his elder sister, children from the second family. Both families are related.

The defendants were ordered to jointly pay Dh1 million, that is Dh200,000 per individual, in blood money to the families of the victims.

Presiding Judge Dr Al Shamsi found them guilty of reckless and inattentive driving, injuring a woman and accidentally causing the death of the five victims who were travelling to Sharjah when their sports utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into the defendants' vehicles on Dubai Bypass Road. The five victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.

Review

Chief Traffic Prosecutor Salah Bu Farousha, Head of the Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution, said he will review the judgment's reasoning to decide whether to appeal the primary ruling within 15 days.

"The defendants were both responsible for the accident and the deaths. We charged J.S. with negligence because he failed to check on the diesel, which ran out suddenly, and he parked his truck in the middle of the highway in an unsafe manner. He also parked his truck without using hazard lights or warning signs. N.T. [SUV's driver] was charged with reckless and inattentive driving. Both men wrecked three vehicles, caused five deaths and one injury," said Bu Farousha.

The Court fined J.S. Dh5,000 and N.T. Dh7,000 and revoked their driving licences for three months each. Additionally J.S. has been banned from renewing his licence for one year.

The Chief Traffic Prosecutor called on drivers to be vigilant and attentive while driving.

"We ask motorists and road-users to be traffic-law abiding in keeping with the directives of Dubai Attorney-General Essam Eisa al Humaidan to protect individuals' lives and their properties…" Bu Farousha said.

The judgment is subject to appeal within 15 days.