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Police vehicle crushes 4-year-old girl to death

AJMAN — An Ajman policeman in an official vehicle hit a four-year-old Syrian girl who died on the spot near a mosque in the Al Ahmadiya district on Saturday. A police source said that the accident occurred at a place where a large number of people had gathered after they finished the Taraweeh prayers.

by

Afkar Ali Ahmed

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Published: Tue 9 Nov 2004, 10:29 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 2:30 PM

The girl and her mother were trying to cross the road to go home after the prayers, when the girl came in front of the vehicle and got run over. Speaking to Khaleej Times Hamad Al Shamsi, Director of Khaleefa Hospital, explained that during the last four months, the hospital had received several fatal cases of accidents, especially after the beginning of the new academic year.

Abdul Kareem Hilmy, Medical Director of the Emergency Section of the hospital said that Ragad Ziyad Al Aggad was already dead when she was brought to the hospital. “Our emergency staff did their best to investigate the cause of death to prepare a medical report for the records.” He added that the medical investigation was conducted by a group of doctors who revealed that the girl was hit severely in the skull, causing fractures and internal bleeding. There are also injuries in the chest and hip fractures.

Dr Hilmi pointed out that for the last four months, the number of accidents causing fatal injuries among children had increased by 50 per cent when compared to the previous months. This, he said, was due to the negligence of the drivers who did not abide by the safety rules, and parents who depended on the maids to take care of the children.

He said that the emergency unit urged educational zones, in coordination with the schools, to organise awareness programmes on children’s safety, which should be attended by parents or guardians, school bus drivers, and other private and public institutions to educate them about the importance of sticking to safety rules for children.

Ziyad Al Aggad, the father of the girl, said that the mother was in a state of shock and in a critical condition since the time of the accident. He said that the policeman, “who was driving the vehicle, was speeding and his vehicle stopped 50 metres away after it knocked down my daughter. He was a reckless driver who did not obey traffic regulations. If a man who violates the very law that he has been entrusted to protect, how can the ordinary people have faith in the police,” Al Aggad explained.

“When the policeman ran over the girl, the street was well-lighted and the road was not congested. Neither was he responding to an emergency call. He should abide by the speed limit of the streets and be cautious while driving, especially in places where there are a number of pedestrians, such as mosques, schools and shopping areas,” Al Aggad said.

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