Dubai fines driver, orders Dhs50,000 for causing the death of electric scooter rider

Dubai Misdemeanor Court fined a Gulf citizen Dhs10,000 and obligated him to pay Dhs50,000 in blood money to the heirs of an Asian who died in a run-over accident on Al Wasl Road while crossing near a pedestrian zone.

The case dated back to Last March when Bur Dubai Police Station received a report on a traffic accident.

A policeman stated that he moved to the scene of the accident, where a vehicle driven by a Gulf citizen apparently ran over an electric scooter ridden by an Asian, who succumbed to his serious injuries.

On interrogation, the driver stated that the victim riding an electric scooter had suddenly crossed the road from a place other than the designated pedestrian crossing, leaving him with no choice other than hitting him.

A sketch of the accident revealed shared responsibility as the driver was found to have committed several violations, which included running a red light, failing to pay attention and exercise due care while driving and failing to slow down when approaching a pedestrian crossing. All these violations led him to collide with the electric scooter, causing its rider to sustain an injury that led to his death.

The report also held the victim partially responsible for driving the scooter on pedestrian lines without ensuring that the road was clear of vehicles, adding that he was supposed instead to get off and cross the road on foot.

The court stated that both the defendant and the victim failed to fulfill the legally required duties of caution and care and that negligence constituted a form of error that warranted criminal liability.

Accordingly, the court ruled that the defendant be fined Dhs10,000 and obligated to pay Dhs50,000 as blood money to the victim’s heirs.