Woman who killed man in UAE in drunk driving accident loses final appeal

Dubai’s Court of Cassation has rejected the final appeal of an Arab woman convicted of causing a fatal road accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. The ruling upholds earlier judgments by the Misdemeanours Court and the Court of Appeal, which fined her Dh10,000 and ordered her to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to the heirs of the victim she fatally struck, Al Khaleej Arabic newspaper reported.

The case dates to October last year, when the woman consumed alcohol late at night and then drove along a two-way service road in the Al Qudra area. She suddenly veered to the right and collided with another vehicle, which was pushed into a lamp post and a parked car before rebounding into a third vehicle. Her own vehicle swerved again, hitting three pedestrians on the roadside.

One man, of Arab nationality, died from severe injuries, while two others of different nationalities sustained varying injuries.

A medical report confirmed she was driving under the influence of alcohol, a fact she admitted during questioning. The court said her negligent driving, while intoxicated and failing to exercise caution, was the primary cause of the crash. However, judges noted that the two surviving pedestrians shared partial responsibility because they were standing in the middle of the road rather than using a designated crossing, thereby endangering themselves and others.

The court upheld her conviction, held her liable for damage to the three vehicles involved, and confirmed the financial penalties. The Court of Cassation dismissed her appeal, making the verdict final.