Saudi Arabia: Father run over by his 12-year-old son
The victim let his child drive car on his own while training him, say sources
Cairo: A man has been run over by his 12-year-old son who was sitting at the wheel for driving training in a Saudi region, a local newspaper has reported.
The father died of injuries he had sustained in the incident, Al Watan added.
A spokesman for the Saudi Red Crescent branch in Najran in south-western Saudi Arabia said they had been alerted on Friday about a run-over incident involving a 65-year-old man who was found to have sustained serious injuries.
The paper, quoting identified sources, recounted details of the incident. They said the man was on a family outing and wanted to train his young child in driving.
He left the boy on his own driving the car. On return to the family’s site, the boy was unable to control the car and ran over his father.
The man was pulled out from under the vehicle in a critical condition, they said. He was later pronounced dead at a local hospital.
In recent years, Saudi Arabia has tightened traffic rules and penalties to boost road safety.
Traffic authorities in the kingdom have repeatedly urged motorists to allocate seats for children inside cars to ensure their safety.
Non-use of a child safety seat is considered a traffic infringement, punishable by fines ranging from SR300 to SR500.
In November 2021, Saudi traffic authorities started registering tickets for motorists failing to introduce the child safety seat.
A fine of up to SR500 is imposed if the motorist transports a child under 10 years in the front seat.