Verdict of Dh4.2m in blood money upheld by court of appeals

Abu Dhabi: The truck driver accused of unintentionally causing the death of 21 workers and injuring 23 others has been ordered to pay Dh4.2 million in blood money, Dh52,000 in fines and will serve a one-year jail sentence, the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeals ruled.

Apart from manslaughter, the accused faces charges of exceeding the speed and heavy vehicle load limits as well as failing to leave a safe distance on the road and damaging public property.

In February, the accused rammed into a bus carrying 45 workers from behind while carrying 75 tonnes of construction material. Twenty Bangladeshis and one Pakistani were among those who died.

According to reports, the lorry collided with the bus and both vehicles hit a metal barrier. The bus then slid down a slope and landed on its right side while the truck followed it down the incline and crashed into the bus.

Gulf News reported witnesses saying that many of the workers choked on the sand and other construction materials being carried by the truck.

Each of the victims’ families will get Dh200,000 in blood money. The defendant has also been ordered to pay Dh1,000 to the Civil Court for speeding and an additional Dh1,000 for carrying a heavy load which does not abide by regulations.