The court ruled that the driver was unaware of the crash, concluding that the victim’s actions were the sole cause of the incident.
A Sharjah court has acquitted a municipal tanker driver of all charges in a road accident case, bringing a months-long legal process to a close after multiple judicial reviews concluded that the victim was solely responsible for the collision.
The final ruling, issued on April 27, 2026 by the Khor Fakkan Court of Appeals, overturned earlier convictions and cleared the driver of charges including causing injury through negligence and failing to stop and provide assistance after the accident.
The case initially began at the Court of First Instance, which in September 2025 convicted the driver and imposed a Dh2,000 fine, finding him guilty of negligent bodily harm and failing to stop at the scene.
Both the prosecution and defence later appealed the verdict, with prosecutors seeking a tougher penalty. The Court of Appeals subsequently increased the sentence to three months in prison.
However, the Court of Cassation overturned that ruling in March 2026, pointing to gaps in the legal reasoning and ordering a retrial before a different panel. The retrial ultimately resulted in the driver’s acquittal.
According to case records, the accident took place on September 9, 2025 in Dibba Al Hisn when a driver operating a municipal sewage suction truck had just completed work at a residence and began moving the vehicle from a stationary position.
At that time, a 76-year-old pedestrian reportedly emerged suddenly from behind a parked vehicle and attempted to cross the road from an unauthorised area, stepping directly into the truck’s path. Police investigations, including sketches and technical reports, found that the driver’s visibility was affected by a blind spot and that the vehicle was moving lawfully.
The defence, led by lawyer Mohammed Al Awami Al Mansoori, was instrumental in securing the acquittal. It argued that the driver was unaware a collision had occurred and that the victim’s actions were the sole cause of the incident. The defence further maintained that, given the size and mechanical nature of the heavy vehicle, the driver could not reasonably have detected the impact and only learned of the incident later when contacted by police after the vehicle was identified through surveillance footage.
The defence further argued that the pedestrian failed to exercise due care by crossing from behind a stationary vehicle, not using a nearby designated sidewalk, and suddenly stepping into the truck’s path—leaving the driver no realistic opportunity to avoid the collision. The court accepted this reasoning and held that the victim’s actions alone caused an unavoidable accident.
Chain of causation broken
In its judgment, the court applied the legal principle of causation, finding that the pedestrian’s conduct amounted to a serious and unforeseen error that broke the causal link between the driver’s actions and the incident.
Judges concluded that the victim’s behaviour was the sole and direct cause of the accident, effectively excluding any criminal liability on the part of the driver.
The court also stressed that criminal convictions must be established beyond doubt, stating that any uncertainty regarding the driver’s ability to prevent the accident must be interpreted in favour of the accused.
Final ruling
The Khor Fakkan Court of Appeals ultimately overturned all earlier judgments and acquitted the driver of all charges.
