Dubai: Four people died and two others were severely injured in three separate accidents in Dubai, with one occurring on Shaikh Zayed Road and two others on the Jebel Ali-Lahbab Road.
A family of four was involved in the accident on Shaikh Zayed Road, which led to the death of the motorist and his daughter while the motorist’s wife and son were hospitalised.
Colonel Jamal Al Bannai, acting director of Dubai Traffic Police, said the first accident in Jebel Ali took place at 8am on Monday. Col Al Bannai said the accident involved a truck which overturned after exiting a roundabout near Al Maktoum airport, causing the driver to fall out of the truck.
“A driver was killed after his truck overturned and he was thrown out of the vehicle,” Col Al Bannai said. “He died instantly as he was crushed under the truck. The accident took place on the Jebel Ali-Lahbab Road after the roundabout near Al Maktoum airport.”
The second accident took place at 9pm on Monday on Shaikh Zayed Road en route to Abu Dhabi near the Dubai Marina Metro station. A light vehicle collided with a crane after the crane’s brakes malfunctioned. Col Al Bannai said a family of four were involved in the accident. The driver of the light vehicle and his daughter died at the scene, while the driver’s wife and son were flown to hospital in a helicopter.
“The crane’s brakes weren’t working properly so the driver slowed down and began veering to the side of the road in an attempt to stop,” Al Bannai said, “As the crane was changing lanes, a light vehicle collided with it. The driver of the second vehicle and his daughter died instantly, while his wife and son were seriously injured. A helicopter rescue team transported them to the hospital for treatment.”
The third accident took place in the early hours of Tuesday. A motorist was killed instantly after his Nissan Patrol collided with a truck on Emirates Road near the Jebel Ali-Lahbab Road..
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Interior reported that the rate of deaths caused by road accidents declined by 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2015, compared with the same period last year.
A total of 147 deaths were recorded during the first three months of this year, compared with 186 during the same period in 2014. Over the same period, 1,684 injuries occurred due to road accidents, compared with 1,976 in 2014. This was a decline of 292 cases year-on-year or 14.8 per cent.
In terms of traffic accidents, the recorded number this year is 1,232 during the first quarter, compared with 1,340 last year.