An Egyptian man was split in half in a horrific accident on Emirates Road yesterday when he tried to change his tire on the left side of the highway, according to Dubai Police.
The man, in his early thirties, stepped into the fast lane and was hit and killed by a Land Cruiser, said Lt Imran Abdullah, of the Dubai Traffic Police. His wife and child were with him but were not injured, Lt Abdullah said.
The accident happened at about 11 am yesterday under a bridge on Emirates Road traveling towards Sharjah. The man stopped his car to change his tire, pulling over on the left shoulder reserved for emergency responders, Lt Abdullah said. “Drivers have to stop on the right side,” Lt Abdullah said. “But he stopped on the left side.”
According to police, the man stepped out of his car to change the tire and walked into the fast lane, where he was hit by a Land Cruiser.
The Emirati driver has been taken into police custody for questioning, but Lt Abdullah said the accident was not his fault.
"He didn't expect that the man would walk in the street," he said. An officer on the scene reported that the Egyptian man was already dead, and said his torso had been split from his legs.
Lt Abdullah urged drivers to never stop on the left side of the road. “Everyone has to keep right,” he said. “He should stop as far away from the yellow line as possible.”
He also urged drivers to put on their hazard lights if they do stop and to check their tires carefully before driving, “especially on highways.”
