School bus driver guilty of killing Ajman pupil is jailed for six months

The incident happened in February after the girl alighted the bus to go home

A school bus driver, known only as 'AM', did not see the Ajman pupil and set off for his next stop, running her over in the process. Jaime Puebla / The National

A school bus driver found guilty of killing a pupil in Ajman in February has been sentenced to six months in prison.

The pupil, a 12-year-old girl from Yemen called Sheikha Hassan, had got off the school bus near her home in the Hamidiya area of Ajman after finishing the day at Umm Ammar School.

After alighting the bus, she walked around the front of the vehicle towards the pavement. The driver did not see her and set off for his next stop, running her over in the process.

Sheikha sustained fatal head injuries as a result.

The incident took place at about 3.48pm on February 15.

“The bus driver drove forward without paying attention and ran over her, causing her death,” Ajman Police said in a post on its social media channels.

Officers said the bus did not have a supervisor at the time.

Ajman Court of First Instance convicted the driver, identified only as 'AM', for causing the pupil’s death after he failed to adhere to traffic laws.

Judges also ordered the driver to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to the family of the girl.

As a result of the incident, police patrols have increased in the emirate during school pick-up and drop-off times.

The Our Pupils Are Our Responsibility campaign seeks to ensure the safety of pupils in private and public schools, said Maj Fuad Al Khaja, head of Traffic and Patrols Section at Ajman Police.

It will ensure that pupils reach school and return home safely by stationing police patrols at pick-up and drop-off points.