The Abu Dhabi Police honoured Sufiyan and Aliya for their actions which prevented further accidents.
Abu Dhabi - The police appreciated the presence of mind shown by the couple in acting swiftly and taking all necessary precautions.
Published: Sat 12 May 2018, 12:00 AM
Last updated: Sun 13 May 2018, 8:38 AM
It was supposed to be a happy weekend trip to Al Ain for Abu Dhabi-based expat Sufiyan Shanavas and his wife Aliya. Instead, the couple from the south Indian state of Kerala were involved in a remarkable road incident.
Sufiyan risked his life to rescue an Arab national injured in an accident and then averted a possible pile-up on the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road. The Abu Dhabi Police appreciated this humanitarian gesture by honouring the couple.
On May 3, the couple planned a weekend stay in Al Ain and set off, taking the Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road at 6pm. Sufiyan took the fast lane and just 26km into the journey, he had to apply emergency brakes to prevent an accident.
"We were cruising through Al Mafraq area when I suddenly noticed that the pick-up in front of me was not moving. In the nick of time, I applied hand brakes and stopped just metres away from the vehicle. We immediately rushed out and found that it was an accident. I opened the door and found an Arab national bleeding inside the vehicle. He was conscious, but in a state of shock. He wasn't responding to my queries. I switched on the hazard light and searched for the triangle warning sign but couldn't find one in the pickup and got it from my car. Meanwhile, Aliya called the Abu Dhabi Police. I moved my car to the hard shoulder, but was unable to move the pickup. We managed to move the person out of his pickup to safety. Despite the hazard light and triangle sign, we had some close calls with approaching vehicles that missed hitting us by a few inches. I knew this could lead to a collision or pile-up crashes, which would mean more casualties," Sufiyan said.
Then, he did the unthinkable. "I stood on the fast lane and waved frantically so that other cars could notice the danger. Still, there were 2-3 cars that came very close to hitting me. I took the risk, otherwise these cars would have surely crashed into the pickup. When I look back, I don't know what made me act."
The Abu Dhabi Police were given the location by Aliyah and assistance was just minutes away. However, a Land Cruiser passing by stopped and the driver stepped out to enquire. It turned out to be a police officer who was passing by.
"He asked about the accident and told me to move to safety as we had taken all necessary precautions of putting on the hazard lights and placing the warning sign. In minutes, the police arrived and took control of the situation." The police took their contact details and told the couple to continue their trip.
"I thought it was for further investigation. But on Sunday, I got a call saying the police wanted to honour our actions. I was bowled over by the respect with which we were treated. The officer asked me why I risked my life. If I hadn't done that, there would have been more accidents. I am glad that the person injured in the accident is also doing well. The response from the police at the accident site was praiseworthy," Sufiyan said. "I speak Arabic as well and it helped in this situation," he noted.
Sufiyan works as a duty manager with Etisalat in Mushrif Mall and Aliyah is a finance and admin secretary at Marina Mall.
Police honour couple
Brigadier Khalifa Mohammed Al Khaili, director of traffic and patrols directorate, central operations sector at the Abu Dhabi Police, honoured the couple on Wednesday.
The police appreciated the presence of mind shown by the couple in acting swiftly and taking all necessary precautions.
Brig Al Khaili expressed the Abu Dhabi Police's keenness to spread awareness among all residents, on traffic law and causes of accidents.
"We appreciate all humanitarian works done by citizens and residents to enhance traffic safety," Al Khaili noted.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com
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