SHARJAH // A 28-year-old Emirati man was killed after his car hit a camel crossing the road and caught fire in the early hours of the morning, police have confirmed.
The accident happened on Monday at around 5:30am as the man was driving on Maleha Road from Kalba to Sharjah City for work. The camel was also killed.
"The accident could have been caused by low visibility as the morning hours were very cloudy and the driver might have not seen the camel," a police spokesman said.
Following the accident, Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, the ruler of Sharjah, ordered the department of works and municipality to fence off Maleha Road to stop camels and other animals straying into traffic, said Sultan Al Mualla, the director general of Sharjah Municipality.
Drivers using highways in the Northern Emirates have repeatedly complained about stray animals on the roads.
Last year, a camel caused an accident in which 16 people were injured on Sheikh Zayed Road in Umm Al Quwain. The Umm Al Quwain to Al Ittihad Road is one of the most dangerous in the emirate, with drivers heading towards Ras Al Khaimah regularly reporting camels crossing or wandering near the road.
Almost 90 accidents related to stray animals were reported last year along the stretch of road, said Lt Col Khamis Buharoon, the UAQ police director of operations.
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