A Dubai traffic court has convicted a young man for causing injury to a pedestrian after he struck him while crossing at a designated pedestrian crossing. The accused then fled the scene without providing any assistance to the injured party. Additionally, the vehicle’s owner was found culpable for allowing the individual to drive despite knowing he lacked a valid driving licence.
The Incident and Court Proceedings
The court imposed a fine of 5,000 dirhams on the young driver and 1,000 dirhams on the vehicle owner. The verdict was based on the defendants’ admissions, alongside the traffic report and accident diagram, which established their accountability for the incident.
Details of the case reveal that the first accused was driving a vehicle owned by the second accused in the Al Raffa area, despite not holding a valid driving licence for that type of vehicle. During his journey, he failed to pay attention to road conditions and neglected to reduce his speed upon approaching the pedestrian crossing, leading to the collision with the victim. This reckless behaviour not only injured the pedestrian but also damaged the vehicle before the driver fled the scene without stopping to assist or calling for medical help, in direct violation of the law that mandates such actions following a traffic accident.
Judicial Findings
The court noted that the first defendant’s accountability extended beyond merely causing the accident. It included a chain of violations: operating a vehicle without a valid driving licence, disregarding road conditions, failing to slow down at the pedestrian crossing, and abandoning the scene without rendering aid to the victim. Such actions were corroborated by the traffic report and accident diagram, as well as the defendant’s own admissions during the investigation.
Moreover, the court highlighted the second defendant’s culpability for permitting the first to drive his vehicle, knowing he was unlicensed. This constituted complicity in the offence of operating a vehicle unlawfully since the incident likely would not have occurred had he not allowed the unlicensed individual to drive.
Conclusion of the Case
The court affirmed that the confessions from the defendants were consistent with the evidence presented, such as the traffic report and accident analysis. The court reiterated its authority to draw conclusions from any evidence it finds credible, maintaining that it could accept the defendants’ admissions if it deemed them truthful, regardless of how the truth emerged during the case proceedings.
The three charges against the first defendant—causing bodily harm, damaging another’s property, and leaving the accident scene without excuse—were deemed interrelated, arising from a single act. Thus, the court applied the relevant legal principles for such related offences. However, it considered the defendants’ circumstances when imposing penalties, ultimately fining the driver 3,000 dirhams for the charges related to the incident and 2,000 dirhams for driving without a licence, leading to a total of 5,000 dirhams. The vehicle owner was fined 1,000 dirhams for allowing an unlicensed person to operate his vehicle.