Pupil killed as speeding minivan crashes and flips over on Dubai road

Driver and 10 children injured in accident involving overcrowded vehicle on Hatta-Lehbab road

The aftermath of the crash on Dubai's Hatta-Lehbab road in which a child was killed and 11 people injured. Photo: Dubai Police

A school pupil was killed and 11 people were injured when a minivan hit a central barrier and overturned on Dubai's Hatta-Lehbab road on Tuesday morning.

Dubai Police said the accident was caused by speeding and negligent driving and that there were too many people in the Toyota Previa involved. The Previa has seating capacity for seven or eight.

A team from Dubai Police and Dubai Ambulance arrived at the site after being alerted at around 7.00am. The driver and 10 other children suffered injuries and were taken to hospital. Some reports said the injuries were not severe.

“The driver suddenly swerved the vehicle after losing control and crashed into the road divider,” said Major General Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, acting assistant commander-in-chief for operations at Dubai Police.

“The impact of the crash forced the minivan off the road and it flipped over, killing one student.”

It came a day after the start of the new school year for many pupils across the UAE, with more than a million returning to classes on Monday.

The vehicle, the officer added, was rented by a group of families for school pick-ups and drop-offs. Officials said the children belonged to “different age groups”.

Maj Gen Al Mazrouei urged parents to hire drivers with impeccable traffic records and to stick with passenger capacity for each vehicle. “Drivers must follow speed limits and must be alert when they are behind the wheels,” he said, adding that they must never drive if they feel tired as it “reduces one's reaction time”.

He also advised drivers to carry out regular maintenance checks of their cars before getting on the road, especially during peak summer months. These are crucial to “protect people's lives”, said Maj Gen Al Mazrouei.