Dubai school student S.T. was in the car that crashed on Hatta-Lahbab road on Tuesday, and all she recalls is the vehicle flipping and sand entering the car. She and 11 others were squeezed into the 7-seater SUV hired by a group of parents to transport the students to their schools in Garhoud from their location near Madam in Sharjah.
"It happened so fast," the Bangladeshi student recounted to Khaleej Times. "The car struck the iron barrier and flipped over possibly two or three times. Glass shattered and sand filled the car. I closed my eyes and prayed for the car to stop rolling." The accident claimed the life of a 7-year-old, and Dubai Police's initial investigations point to speeding, negligence, and lack of attention as the causes.
Once the car ceased rolling, the 17-year-old managed to get out. "I wasn't seriously hurt, so I quickly exited," she explained. "A young girl was lying face down on the sand. I turned her over and she had been gravely injured. She was later airlifted to the hospital. That image remains etched in my mind. One of the girls sustained eye injuries from the broken glass. She is still in the hospital." S.T. mentioned that the driver was in shock and unresponsive after exiting the vehicle. "He asked me to call the authorities," she said. "I used my phone to immediately dial the emergency number. Within five minutes, about 10 police cars and 10 ambulances arrived, followed by the helicopter."
S.T.'s younger sister, in Grade 5, suffered a fractured collarbone. "The doctor initially recommended surgery, but after consulting with my parents, they advised her to rest for two weeks and then have a follow-up scan," she said. "They believe her small size might allow the bone to heal on its own. She experiences a lot of pain when she moves." This was the first time S.T. and her sister used a private carpooling service. "Until last year, our brother would drop us off at school on his way to university," she said. "This year, he graduated and started working, so he couldn't drop us anymore. That's why we chose this service." According to the Grade 12 student, all the children in the car lived in the same area. "Some of us lived in Madam, and others in a nearby place called Nizwa. It was a nurse at a local clinic who provided us with the driver's number. Her child was also in the car." S.T. noted that the driver and a female relative of his sat in the front seat, while the remaining 10 students occupied the second and third rows.
S.T. said she immediately knew the 7-year-old had died. "Once we all got out, the woman in the front seat counted us and realized one person was missing," she said. "The crash site was near a construction area, so the laborers there came running. Together, they helped flip the car over, and the boy was found trapped underneath. Everyone started reciting prayers." S.T.'s main concern was shielding the younger children from the horrific scene. "The dead boy's younger brother was in the car," she said. "I quickly took him and a few others away from the scene so he wouldn't see his brother. He kept asking for him, and I lied that he was in the ambulance." At the hospital, police and KHDA officials visited them. "They told us to ask for anything we needed," she said. "I still can't believe I was in such a major accident. I am truly thankful to be alive."
