Three men are in critical condition after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to cross a Dubai road.
The group had been travelling on a bus transporting workers when the vehicle suffered a flat tyre and was forced to stop in the middle of Al Khail Road shortly before 6am on Wednesday.
The driver directed all passengers to get off the bus and reach a place of safety, only for three of the men to be hit by a passing vehicle.
“Traffic patrols and paramedics were dispatched to the accident scene at once and the three men, who are in critical condition, were immediately taken to hospital,” a police spokesman said.
Statistics released by the Ministry Interior relieved that accidents involving burst tyres accounted for more than 1,100 injuries and 100 deaths across the UAE in 2018.
Police said the incident was a strk reminder of the consequences of trying to usher passengers off a stationary vehicle in hazardous conditions.
“One of the most dangerous traffic behaviours Dubai police have repeatedly warned about is suddenly stopping in the middle of the road, and what is even more dangerous is trying to get passengers off the vehicle in this way,” said Brig Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, of Dubai Police's traffic department
“It was necessary to take precautions by making an immediate call to police to come secure traffic because in most of the accidents caused by sudden stopping in the middle of a road which mainly occurred on highways, the drivers coming from behind were unable to pay attention to these stopped vehicles.”
One person was seriously hurt and three others incurred minor injuries in a four-car pile-up on Sheikh Zayed Road, opposite V Hotel, at about 5pm on Tuesday.
The cause of the accident was not disclosed by police.
