Jowhara Shaweesh, a 26-year-old Palestinian journalist, is currently at King Fahd Hospital suffering from brain damage and internal bleeding.
“She was using a camera to take random photos of the Corniche. She was working on a report for the newspaper,” said Rania Al-Wajeeh, a colleague who was with her when she was hit.
“The man came out of nowhere … We were standing together when she was hit,” she added.
Al-Wajeeh said the man struck her deliberately because he was concerned at being photographed. “I’m convinced that he hit her and not me because she was the one holding the camera and not me,” she said.
“The place was almost empty and there was space all around us. I think he meant to hit her on purpose, fearing we would publish his photo in the newspaper,” she added.
However, a relative of the journalist said he did not suspect any criminal motive behind the incident. “We don’t think it was deliberate. We think it was an accident and it was not his intention to hit my sister,” said Shaweesh’s brother.
Police are investigating the matter. “Police have launched an investigation into the overstayers who drive motorcycles and quad bikes carelessly on the Corniche. This is not the first accident of this type,” said First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq of Jeddah police.
“We don’t have any further details now about the driver and we haven’t arrested anyone so far,” he added.
Families looking for an evening’s relaxation and fun for their children have always been complaining about the threat posed by the four-wheel buggies that infest the beach.
The municipality has promised on many occasions to eliminate the problem, but visitors see no noticeable change.
