UAE expat to pay Dh400,000 blood money for killing 2 women in crash

Abu Dhabi - Investigations revealed that his recklessness and sudden change of lanes caused the crash.

A reckless motorist, who caused the death of two women in a road crash, has been ordered to pay Dh400,000 in blood money to the families of the victims. 
The Federal Supreme Court in Abu Dhabi upheld earlier rulings by the lower courts that found the Arab man guilty of causing death of the two women and injuries to four others in an accident that resulted from violating traffic rules.
The court also cancelled the appellant court verdict that reduced the blood money to be paid to the each of victim's families to Dh100,000 and increased it to Dh200,000. The judge said the blood money paid to the family of a male victim should be equal to that of a female as per the Federal Law No. 1 of 2019.
Court documents stated that the Arab expat rammed into another vehicle due to sudden change in lanes. The second vehicle was carrying six people, including the two women who died in the spot. 
Police investigations revealed that the defendant's recklessness and sudden change of lanes caused the crash which claimed the lives of the two women. Prosecutors charged the motorist with unintentionally causing the death of the two women and injuries to four people in a road crash.
The Court of First Instance had earlier sentenced the man to six months in jail, fined him Dh7,000 and suspending his driving licence for one year after he was found guilty of violating traffic rules. He was also told to pay blood money of Dh200,000 to each of the victim's families.
The man challenged the ruling to the appellant court which reduced the driver's jail sentence to two months and the suspension of his driving licence to three months. The appellant court judge also cut the blood money to be paid to the victim's families to Dh100,000 each.
Prosecutors went to UAE's supreme court which cancelled the sentences by the appellant court and maintained the verdict and sentences issued by the Court of First Instance.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi