Sharjah: A 34-year-old Indian man was killed on Wednesday morning after a speeding car hit him in Sharjah, police said.
The accident took place in Sharjah’s King Faisal Road when the man was crossing the road in an undesignated area.
The police operations room received a call about the run-over incident at 11.30am.
Police patrol and paramedics moved immediately to the spot and transferred the body to Al Kuwaiti hospital.
The driver who caused the accident was taken to Al Garb police station for questioning.
Eyewitnesses said the long distance between two traffic signals and lack of footbridges force people to cross the road at places prohibited for pedestrians. They added that absence of a barrier also encourages pedestrians to cross the road.
The total number of pedestrian casualties in Sharjah was not immediately available, but in Dubai, a total of 225 pedestrians and cyclists were hit by motorists during the first seven months of the year, killing as many as 25, Gulf News reported last month.
The numbers were revealed after Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the General Directorate of Traffic at Dubai Police, distributed fluorescent green vests to pedestrians and cyclists. He urged them to wear these so they can be spotted by motorists.
“The vests may protect pedestrians and bicycle users from risks and traffic accidents,” he said. “It helps draws attention to them at night. There have been a number of casualties due to some motorists ignoring road regulations and laws.”
