ABU DHABI: An Indian couple has been honoured by the Abu Dhabi Police for risking their lives to rescue a road accident victim and preventing a possible pile-up on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road.
Sufiyan Shanavas said he was driving along the highway with his wife Aliyah around 6pm on May 3 when he noticed a pick-up parked in the middle of the road.
Quick thinking
“I braked instantly and stopped just metres away from the car. As it turned out, the pick-up had been hit by another car which had sped away. The occupant was an Egyptian in his early forties. He was in a daze and bleeding profusely,” Sufiyan recalled.
“I immediately took out the safety triangle from his car and placed it on the road to alert other motorists. Meanwhile Aliyah called the police,” he said.
Close shaves
“We put up a safety triangle and switched on the hazard lights of the pick-up, yet had several close shaves with some cars missing us narrowly. So I walked down the road and waved frantically at approaching vehicles to alert them of the danger ahead.
Soon a police car and an ambulance arrived on the spot. “The police took our details. We thought it was part of an investigation. Who would have thought they would call me to Mushrif Police station and give me an award?” said Sufiyan who was handed a certificate of appreciation by Brigadier Khalifa Mohammad Al Khaili, Director of the Traffic and Patrols Directorate.
“The police commended us and said we were role models for other people in similar situations. “This has got to be one of the happiest moments of my life. It was a great honour to receive the award from the brigadier,” added Aliya, who works in the finance department of Marina Mall.
The accident victim was taken to Mafraq Hospital, said Sufiyan who works as a duty manager with Etisalat in Mushrif Mall.
-The writer is an Abu Dhabi-based freelance journalist
