Family dies in horrific accident

AL AIN — Four members of a family — father, two daughters and 10-year-old son — were killed in a horrific accident involving two 4-WD, one of them a Landcruiser, on the Al Ain Industrial Area Road.

By Lana Mahdi

Published: Thu 18 Aug 2005, 10:05 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 7:14 PM

The Landcruiser, which was moving at a very high speed, turned turtle several times before colliding with the other 4-WD carrying the family of four.

The four who died have been identified as 55-year-old UAE national Amir Salim Al Kowaity, his two daughters, 25-year-old Aisha and 17-year-old Sara, and 10-year-old son Khalid.

"The mishap took place on the Al Ain Industrial Road, and in the direction of Al Ain Hilton," a police official said.

The five people travelling in the speeding Landcruiser who sustained injuries in the accident were 19-year-old Mohammed Matar who was behind the wheels, 45-year-old Afra Salim, 19-year-old Kholood Amir, 16-year-old Rawda and six-year-old Maytha.

While Mohammed Matar is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Al Ain Government Hospital, the other four were discharged from hospital after being treated for their injuries.

"Both the cars involved the collision were completely destroyed, ” said the police official. Explaining the cause of the horrific crash, the police official told Khaleej Times, “the accident took place because the driver of the Landcruiser was driving at a very high speed, that was way beyond the speed limit."

It should be mentioned here that a recent study on road safety had pin-pointed human fault as the sole reason in 57 per cent of all accidents, and as one of the causative factor in over 90 per cent of accidents. Only 2.4 per cent accidents happened because of mechanical faults in the vehicle and just 4.7 per cent were caused because of "surrounding" factors.

In another accident, in the capital city, two Indians sustained injuries in a car collision. The two were identified as M.A and A.M. The capital’s civil defence team that quickly arrived on the scene of the accident immediately took the two men to the Saqr Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the dust blanket that once again covered Dubai for the greater part of the day played havoc with motorists. With poor visibility, the city saw 45 accidents with 45 suffering minor injuries according to a spokesman at the Rashid Hospital. All the injured were treated and sent home.