NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL
Police step up traffic campaign
ABU DHABI - Aug 22: The Al Ain Police Department has issued 7,801 tickets for traffic violations, including red light running, speeding and parking offences, between March and August 18.
Participating in Abu Dhabi Police’s month-long parking campaign titled ‘Illegal Parking Delays You and Others’, the Al Ain Police have stepped up their efforts to curb illegal parking.
Since the new traffic penalties system began in March, Al Ain Police have handed out more than 4,000 parking tickets.
Of those tickets, 887 were for parking in a red zone and 116 for parking in a yellow zone. Twelve tickets were issued during the past six months to people who parked their vehicles in the left hand lane and 71 for parking on a crosswalk.
There were 94 cases of people parking their vehicles in a manner that blocked others from moving their vehicles and 83 for stopping in the middle of the road without good cause.
A further 37 tickets were issued to taxi drivers for picking up passengers in areas other than taxi stands, while 1,851 tickets were given out for cars parked in a manner that impeded the flow of traffic. Forty-one tickets were handed out to those who left their cars running unattended.
Parking in a loading and unloading zone resulted in 25 violations, while parking on the shoulder in a non-emergency resulted in six tickets. Fifty-one people received tickets for parking in a manner that endangered the public while 299 were fined for the offence ‘improper use of a parking space’. An additional, 1,018 tickets were handed out for parking on the pavement.
According to Al Ain Police, the greatest congestion occurs in the Al Ain downtown which is where the majority of tickets were written.
As part of its contribution to the on-going parking campaign, Al Ain Police are sending emails to businesses asking them to notify their customers that parking illegally affects everyone. Also, residents will be sent SMS messages asking for help in curbing illegal parking and flyers in English, Arabic and Urdu are being passed out to motorists at various intersections.
Hummer driver 'killed expat in fit of road rage'
Dubai - Aug 22: A Hummer driver killed a British expatriate in front of her husband by running over her in a fit of road rage then reversing over her as she lay dying at the roadside, a court heard today.
Katherine Wood died after being hit by the 4x4 while out celebrating her birthday. Her husband and a friend were also injured during the incident.
In a witness statement, Mrs Wood’s husband told Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance: “I looked up to see what had happened to Katherine and I saw the hummer stop, then drive back over her body.
"At this point all I can see is blood coming out of her eyes and ears.”
During his first court appearance today, the defendant, a 22-year-old Emirati businessman identified only as AA, denied the premeditated murder of Mrs Wood, attempted murder of her husband and two friends and damaging public and private property
The court heard how Mrs Wood, a saleswoman who had lived in Dubai for two years, had enjoyed a birthday dinner at the Meridian Hotel on Friday, May 30, before heading into the Irish village to have more drinks. She was with her husband and two friends – a man and a woman.
The four expatriates were getting out of their taxi outside the Aviation Club, in Garhood, just after midnight and partially blocking the service road behind them.
AA, who was driving the Hummer, is alleged to have blown his horn and flashed his high beam lights repeatedly at the taxi to get it to move out of the service road. He then hurled abuse at the Mrs Wood's husband and two friends who were standing on the pavement outside the club.
Witnesses at the scene said the driver of the Hummer lost his temper and swore repeatedly at the group after what appeared as “Mrs Woods taking her time paying the driver”, a witness account read.
“The Hummer got onto the pavement and drove into the two men, sending one of them six feet up in the air,” said GK an Australian witness.
Both men were knocked to either side of the road as AA’s car hit Mrs Wood who was still unaware of what was happening, said a public prosecutor. As soon as she turned away form the taxi she was struck.
The Hummer then drove off towards Garhood.
Public prosecution documents say Mrs Wood died in an ambulance on her way to Rashid Hospital. Eyewitness at the court described the hit-and-run incident as a “extreme road rage”.
Dubai Police arrested AA the following day after he allegedly mowed over the three expatriates. AA told the court that her death was a mistake and that he did not see the group.
Mrs Wood and her husband - who were married for 33 years - moved to Dubai from Inverness, Scotland, two years ago. She worked as a salesperson and her husband was an oil worker. The case was adjourned to Sept 4.