The bus driver in the horrific road crash that killed 17 passengers has been sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay Dh3.4 million compensation to the families of the victims.
The 53-year-old Omani driver will pay Dh200,000 in blood money to each of the family and additional Dh50,000 fine.
He will be deported after serving his prison term.
The passengers were returning from Oman after an Eid break, and the bus windshield was partly covered to protect the driver from the sun.
This prevented the driver from noticing the height restriction barrier. But what made the crash lethal was the speed. The driver was going above the 40kmph speed limit on that road, investigations revealed.
The Omani admitted that he was overshooting speed limit at 94 km/h that led to the tragic accident.
At a more controlled speed, the collision impact could have been less.
The fatalities in the accident include 12 Indians, two Pakistanis, and three other passengers from Ireland, Oman, and the Philippines.
More Florida bus drivers should be in jail also