Truck loaded with excavator hits barrier in Dubai

A truck carrying an excavator on board collided with an iron height restriction barrier at the entrance of the Shindagha Tunnel, which caused the barrier to fall on the ground due to the impact of the collision.

No injuries were reported, the Dubai Police confirmed.

Colonel Omar Musa Ashour, Deputy Director of Naif Police Station, stated that the Transport and Rescue Department and the Traffic Department, in cooperation with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), immediately formed a joint team to deal with the incident that occurred early on Sunday morning.

The tunnel in both directions was closed and traffic was diverted to avoid congestion.

The joint work team was able within a few hours to remove the truck, the rig and the iron barrier from the entrance to the tunnel, and reopen it for traffic.

The tunnel was operational in record time before the peak hours thanks to the concerted efforts between Dubai Police and the RTA in dealing with this type of accidents, Ashour added.

Colonel Ashour explained that the truck driver attempted to enter the tunnel with the truck loaded with the excavator, ignoring the multiple warning signs placed on the side of the road adjacent to the tunnel, which prevent the entry of trucks.

He called on drivers to fully adhere to the indicative signs to avoid accidents.

Recently, the Abu Dhabi Police have detained a truck driver for committing three different traffic violations that affected the traffic flow on Abu Dhabi-Al Ain Road.

The driver was driving recklessly without leaving enough space from other vehicles, besides overtaking vehicles in  direction and not abiding by the traffic signs placed for motorists.

The Abu Dhabi Police’s Traffic and Patrols Directorate urged owners of trucks and heavy vehicles to constantly alert their company drivers about adhering to traffic rules and regulations in order to maintain their safety and the safety of other motorists.

Police also advised truck owners not to allow heavy vehicles on roads during foggy hours, and take all necessary safety precautions to prevent the occurrence of accidents such weather conditions.

In a previous statement made by Abu Dhabi Police, buses and heavy vehicles plying on the roads during fog time will get a fine of Dhs500 and 4 black points.