‘Drunken driver drove 800m on wrong side before crash’

The Asian bus driver, who caused the death of a Bahraini man on Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway on Sunday, drove nearly 800 metres on the wrong side of the busy highway before crashing into the victim, it has been revealed. This was confirmed by the Public Prosecution one day after the tragic accident took place on one of the busiest highways in the country near North Sehla.

Traffic Prosecution Chief Prosecutor Mohammed Al Dhahrani clarified in a statement that the mishap occurred  below the Isa Town flyover and that the bus driver has been confirmed to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. “The Public Prosecution was notified about a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a Bahraini national on Shaikh Isa bin Salman Highway.

“The details of the mishap indicate that the Asian suspect was driving a bus and wanted to drive towards the Isa Town flyover, but he took a wrong turn. “The suspect stopped the bus on the emergency lane on the right, then he took a U-turn and drove for 800 metres on the left lane, opposite to the oncoming traffic, resulting in the collision with the victim, who was stuck in his vehicle and died on the spot as a result of the injuries he sustained,” Mr Al Dhahrani said.

The official stated that the prosecution interrogated the driver and accused him of unintentionally causing the death of a person, driving under the influence of alcohol, causing damages to others’ properties, reckless driving, driving in the wrong direction and driving vehicle with an expired registration. “The Public Prosecution has ordered to detain the suspect for seven days pending further investigation, in order to refer him to the concerned court,” Mr Al Dhahrani added.

As Tribune reported yesterday, the mishap was first announced at 10 pm on Sunday by Interior Ministry, which confirmed the death of the Bahraini driver on the spot and called upon drivers to seek alternative roads to avoid being stuck in the huge traffic congestion that was caused by the accident. Traffic flow on the busy road was halted for more than two hours before the concerned authorities moved both vehicles and restored the ordinary movement of traffic.

Tribune has learnt that the deceased has been identified as Ali Al Haddar, a Bahraini social worker in his mid-twenties from the village of Hamala in the Northern Governorate. His body was laid to its last resting place in Hamala graveyard on Monday. Mr Al Haddar, who was also a football player of Hamala Youth Centre, was mourned by hundreds of citizens, including Communication and Marketing Director at the Youth and Sports Affairs Ministry Nawar Al Mutawa, who described him as “a dear brother”.

Calls to apply the maximum punishment against the driver were also voiced out by many netizens online. Several footage posted on social media networks showed cars avoiding the bus driver while he was driving against the oncoming traffic on the highway.  Videos of the victim’s vehicle being stuck under the bus and the halted traffic on the highway were also being circulated online.