Father took blame after son caused crash that killed his mother in UAE

Sharjah - The boy has been released on bail after the case was referred to the Sharjah traffic prosecution.

A teenager, who drove his family's 4WD without a licence and caused an accident that killed his mother, was in a daze for some time after the crash, he has told the police. The Indian boy, who will turn 18 years of age later this month, had been taking driving lessons and took his father's 4WD for a spin when he ran over his mother, 38, on Friday morning in Sharjah's Muweilah area.
The boy has been released on bail after the case was referred to the Sharjah traffic prosecution.
A police official said the boy confessed to taking the vehicle without his father's knowledge. When he was driving around a park, he saw his mother sitting outside. He drove towards her to pick her up so she could sit beside him. However, when he reached the spot, he accidentally stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake and ran over her.
"I felt confused after what happened. I stayed inside the vehicle for more than two minutes. I then got off and looked below the vehicle to find my mother. I pulled her out, but she was motionless. I then called my father," a police official quoted the boy as saying.
The father's first instinct was to protect his son and called the police to say it was he who caused the fatal crash. However, the police investigation revealed the boy was responsible.
The woman was rushed to Al Qassimi Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was laid to rest on Monday in Sharjah. The family hails from the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The boy, a grade 12 student, is the oldest of five siblings.
afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah