Dubai - The police cordoned off the accident site and were at the site till 5am.
Published: Sun 2 Sep 2018, 12:59 PM
A motorist lost control over his vehicle and crashed into an ATM booth at a mall in Dubai late on Thursday. The accident was reported at the Burjuman shopping centre at 10pm and caused minor injuries to two residents, including the driver.
CCTV footages showed at least five men were inside the booth at the time of the crash. They can be seen running for cover as the 4WD vehicle crashes into the booth.
The police control room was notified by a security guard that a vehicle crashed through the glass door of the Emirates NBD ATM. When the police arrived at the site, they learnt that an Asian driver in his 40s had caused the crash.
The motorist, who is believed to have been speeding, told the police that he was on the Bank Street when a vehicle came in front of him. To avoid this car, he attempted to brake, but accidentally hit the accelerator instead. He ran through some barriers on the road and crashed into the ATM booth at one corner of the Burjuman shopping centre.
Lt-Colonel Faisal Al Qasim, head of the police's general department of media, said prima facie it is believed that negligence on the part of the driver caused the accident.
A resident, who was withdrawing cash from the ATM at the time, sustained minor injuries.
The officer confirmed that the motorist was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident. "He was not using his mobile phone either.
Negligence and not paying attention while driving caused the crash," Lt-Col Al Qasim said.
The driver has been referred to the Dubai Traffic Prosecution.
A security guard at the mall told Khaleej Times: "The incident happened in seconds. We heard a loud sound as the 4WD vehicle crashed into the booth. The car crashed through concrete barriers outside the mall before it came to rest inside the booth."
The eyewitness said the motorist got out of the car and waited until the police arrived. "Soon after, some officials from the bank came to inspect the damage.
The police cordoned off the site and were here till 5am," he added.
Another security guard said: "Fortunately, there weren't many people at the ATM. The few people who were inside managed to escape."
An eyewitness, who did not wish to be named, said: "I was in a state of panic after the incident. However, when the motorist came out of the car after the accident, I calmed down as he seemed to be a respectable man."
amira@khaleejtimes.com
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