Road rage claims UAE cabbie’s life

ajman — A motorcyclist was arrested by the Ajman Police over a road rage incident that claimed the life of a 54-year-old taxi driver in Al Ramailah area.

According to eyewitnesses, the cabbie collapsed on the road after being hit by the suspect during a scuffle.

The witnesses, who were riding in the victim’s taxi from Al Rashidiya to Al Karama area, told the police that their cab was moving down the road when the motorcyclist overtook it without any alert. This caused the taxi to brush against the motorbike.

The 38-year-old Asian suspect got off his motorcycle and confronted the taxi driver, who also got out of his cab. The verbal exchange gave way to fisticuffs. While the cabbie punched the biker in the face, the motorcyclist hit the taxi driver twice in his abdomen.

Two minutes later, the cabbie collapsed and died on the spot, the eyewitnesses said.

The onlookers called the police who rushed to the site. The taxi driver was shifted to Khalifa Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The police arrested the motorcyclist and referred him to public prosecution.

An official at the Ajman Public Prosecution told Khaleej Times that the autopsy revealed that the cabbie died due to heart failure, as he suffered from chronic heart disease. There were no signs of violence and assault on his body. Therefore, the motorcyclist would not be charged with premeditated murder, he added.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com