A driver is on trial for killing an expatriate labourer working on the farm as he drove along a dirt road near Zallaq.
The Bahraini admitted to causing the victim’s death but claimed that the Indian was ‘at fault’ as he allegedly stepped into an unmarked vehicle lane and was hard to spot as he wore beige and ‘blended in with the sand’.
He faces charges of vehicular manslaughter due to reckless driving, not exercising the utmost care while behind the wheel of a car, and driving in a way that endangered the lives of pedestrians.
“The accident took place as I was leaving the farm at 5.30pm,” the 50-year-old defendant said of the April 11 tragedy. “I was driving around 60 to 70kph, heading to the farm’s gate.
“I was surprised to see someone in front of me – a farm labourer – dressed in white or beige, a colour close to the colour of sand, who suddenly emerged in front of me.
“He entered the path the car was taking, on foot, and I collided into him.”
People nearby called the emergency services and an ambulance and police arrived. The man was declared dead at the scene.
“When questioned by the police, I told them I didn’t intend to kill the worker, but that he was the one to enter a lane dedicated to cars,” the accused said, adding that it was the victim’s fault.
A policeman who inspected the scene said that the road was around 400 metres long and had no road signs instructing motorists to take caution, or signs indicating a maximum speed.
He added that there were also no markings on the path, since it was a dirt road, and that it was lined by ‘big trees’ located on a ‘large farm’.
Authorities concluded that there was no criminal suspicion in the incident.
The defendant’s blood and urine were both tested, and were not found to contain traces of alcohol or narotics.
The victim suffered severe fractures to his neck, face, chest and limbs, and was seen bleeding at the scene.
His two children, aided by a lawyer, submitted a request to permit them to pursue civil damages, if the defendant is convicted.
“The victim’s death has caused severe material losses to my clients, since he was their father, who supported them,” their lawyer told judges.
“The death also caused psychological harm due to the pain and suffering it incurred, having lost a person so dear to them in such a tragic way.”
The court heard that the car the defendant was driving belonged to his boss, the owner of the farm.
Judges set July 14 as the date a verdict will be issued.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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