Abu Dhabi
In a dramatic operation, Abu Dhabi Police rescued a motorist whose SUV’s cruise control system failed when he was driving at 130km/h, the police said on Monday.
The Al Ain resident was driving on Friday on Al Ain road heading towards Abu Dhabi city when the cruise control system failed. When he called police, they began giving him instructions over the mobile phone on how to control the vehicle. They told him to stay calm and not panic. The motorist however said he was in extreme fear during the rescue operation that lasted over 50 minutes.
Rescue operation
A total of fifteen Abu Dhabi Police vehicles, including ambulances drove parallel to the SUV and kept clearing the road ahead. After that a police vehicle drove in front of the speeding car, and managed to gradually slow down and finally stop the SUV at Al Mafraq Bridge area of Abu Dhabi after 50 minutes of struggle.
After the speeding vehicle came to a stop, a small fire was noticed under the bonnet which was immediately put off with the police managing to safely take him out of the car.
The driver said this was the first time his new SUV’s cruise control system failed.
“I tried to shift the transmission gear to neutral position and use the brakes, but it didn’t work,” the motorist said.
He then dialled the emergency police number 999 and immediately traffic police patrols appeared on the road to help him.
Brigadier Salim Bin Barak Al Dahiri, director of external traffic department of the police, said police vehicles escorted the car and cleared the road to prevent it from colliding with other vehicles and ensured safe evacuation of the driver from the car.
The police collaborated with other specialised teams having expertise in dealing with such situations. They followed the car on Al Ain road until Al Mafraq Bridge on the outskirts of the capital.
The relieved motorist thanked police teams for the prompt response and saving his life.
