French resident gets jail-term replaced with fine in cyclist’s death case

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

A French resident sentenced to jail for causing a cyclist’s death when he crossed a red light has had his prison term replaced with a fine.

The 50-year-old driver denied wrongful death and damaging property charges at Dubai Traffic Court.

He was convicted in April and sentenced to one month in prison and a Dhs10,000 fine.

His driving licence was suspended by judges for 3 months and he was ordered to pay Dhs200,000 in blood money.

The judges learnt that he hit the cyclist, who was trying to cross at a designated area on Sheikh Rashid Road, on the morning of Nov.2 last year.

The cyclist – whose nationality and age were not disclosed – sustained fatal head injuries in the crash.

Emirati lawyer Awatif Mohammed argued that the cyclist crossed the road despite the pedestrian signal still being red.

“While the cyclist crossed a red pedestrian signal, my client crossed a yellow traffic signal [and] not red,” Ms Mohammed from Al Rowaad Advocates told the court.

She said the cyclist appeared all of a sudden, surprising her client. 

“Taken by surprise, my client couldn’t avoid hitting him."

According to article 25 of the UAE’s traffic law, a yellow signal allows a vehicle to cross with caution if a complete safe stop is not possible, she told the court.

Judges at the Court of Appeal revoked the prison sentence but upheld the fine and driving licence suspension.

The driver will have to pay the victim’s family Dhs200,000 in blood money but according to UAE laws, the insurance company covers the amount.