THUQBAH, 30 June — At 11:45 yesterday morning the sound of screeching tires brought office workers to their windows.
"We heard the awful squeal of tires desperately clutching the road. It seemed to go on forever. We rushed to the windows, anticipating the sound of crashing metal but there was nothing. As we reached the windows there was a terrible shout and loud wailing. When we looked out we realized why. A student had been thrown 20 meters down the road having been struck by a Toyota Landcruiser SUV," said a representative of an IT firm.
The child returning home from International Indian School, Dammam had just exited the SAPTCO bus when the accident occurred. A group of children in the company of a mother, were crossing in front of the bus to the opposite side of fourth street, a divided four- lane road. The student who was hit was at the rear of the group. He was struck when the Toyota traveling at high speed passed on the left of the stopped bus.
Eyewitnesses at the scene have stated that the Saudi driver did not apply brakes until after he had struck the child.
The office workers could only watch in horror as the Saudi driver of the SUV ran to the child who was lying unconscious in the road.
The driver scooped up the child, placed him in the rear of the SUV and almost immediately drove off with him to Dosary Hospital, which was only a minute away.
M. Anwar, principal, Dammam’s Indian Embassy School identified the child as Anas, a Class 5 student, about 11 years old.
He stated that the child was in stable condition at Dosary Hospital and was responsive.
The parents had requested that their son be transferred to Al-Mana Hospital where his care could be overseen by a neurosurgeon, as head injury was suspected. The police are investigating the incident.
