The driver will also have to pay almost $1 million in compensation to the families of the victims
The Omani bus driver at the centre of a deadly bus crash that left 17 people dead has been sentenced to seven years in prison and ordered to pay AED 3.4 million ($925,694) in compensation to the families of the victims.
According to Dubai authorities, the 53-year old driver was travelling at speeds of 94 km/h on June 6 when the Mwasalat bus – which was travelling from Muscat to Dubai – struck an overhead height barrier.
The driver took a wrong left turn, which led the bus to an area with a height restriction. In addition to the dead, 13 people were left injured.
The Dubai Traffic Court ordered that the driver be deported after serving his prison term and paying a AED 50,000 fine. His licence was also suspended for a period of one year.
In an earlier hearing, the driver admitted a mistake in the lead-up to the crash, although he said that bright sunshine had obscured his vision seconds before the incident.
The driver’s attorneys, however, argued that the height barrier at the scene of the accident violated GCC standards and guidelines.
The passengers – who were returning from Oman following Eid Al Fitr holidays – included citizens of Germany, Ireland, India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
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