55 vehicles involved in Abu Dhabi pileups
25 hurt in accidents due to poor visibility, rash driving, tailgating
Twenty-five people sustained moderate to serious injuries in three accidents involving 55 vehicles on Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway and in Al Ain, police said yesterday. Poor visibility, reckless driving, tailgating and speeding were the main causes that led to these accidents, the police said.
Of the total, 18 received minor injuries in the accident on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway, while two people were seriously injured and two others sustained major injuries. In the other two accidents involving 11 vehicles, which happened in Al Ain, three people were injured.
A police spokesperson said that the major pile-up occurred on Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Road (E311) after Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) Bridge in Al Samha area.
Soon after the accident, the police urged motorists to use alternative routes and the traffic was diverted towards Al Samha Bridge on Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11).
Twenty-five people were injured in three accidents involving 55 vehicles due to heavy fog in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain early yesterday, Abu Dhabi Police said.
Among the injured, 18 motorists sustained minor injuries in the 44-vehicle pileup on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway, while two persons were seriously injured and two others sustained major injuries.
In the other two accidents involving 11 vehicles in Al Ain, three persons were injured.
The first accident occurred at 8.08am on the Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Road (E311) after Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad) Bridge in Al Samha area on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway due to thick fog, low visibility, tailgating, speeding and ignoring traffic rules, police said.
Alternative routes
Soon after the accident, the police urged motorists to use alternative routes and the traffic was diverted towards Al Samha Bridge on Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11).
Brigadier Khalifa Mohammad Al Khaili, director of Road Traffic Directorate of Abu Dhabi Police, said police ambulances, rescue and recovery vehicles were dispatched to the scene immediately and damaged vehicles were removed from the road. After the accident, the police stopped the movement of trucks and buses till the fog cleared, Brig Al Khaili said.
Al Ain crashes
In Al Ain, three motorists sustained minor to moderate injuries in two accidents due to heavy fog in the morning, police said.
The first accident involving five vehicles happened at 8am in Al Heer region in the direction of Al Ain city in which one person sustained minor injuries.
The second involving six vehicles happened in Al Ain city, in which two persons sustained moderate injuries.
All the injured were rushed to hospitals.
Abu Dhabi Police’s social media wing sent warning messages and urged motorists to take alternative routes, reduce their speed and leave sufficient distance between vehicles.
Colonel Ahmad Mohammad Al Zyodi, director of the Traffic Department in Al Ain, urged motorists to avoid tailgating and stop their cars in safe zones during poor visibility.