Indian Parents in the UAE Pardon Driver After Toddler Son's Death
Grieving Kerala couple pardon driver in freak accident that claimed their 22-month-old son’s life during family visit in the UAE.
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In a heartfelt and compassionate decision, an Indian expatriate father and his wife have pardoned the driver involved in the tragic accident that killed their 22-month-old son in Sharjah last week. The grieving parents said they hold no complaint against the driver responsible for the collision, according to Gulf News.
The accident occurred on a Wednesday evening in a sandy parking area near the family’s residential building in Muwaileh when the couple’s only child, Alan Rumi, was struck by a vehicle as his mother was disposing of garbage. The toddler, born six years after his parents’ marriage, was visiting the UAE from the south Indian state of Kerala with his mother while his father worked in Dubai.
In a poignant statement from their hometown in Kerala, the parents explained that the tragedy happened quickly and unexpectedly. The driver, a neighbour reversing his car, could not see the child in time to stop, leading to the fatal collision. They emphasised that the driver did not intentionally cause harm and had even rushed the family to a nearby private hospital before Alan was transferred to a government hospital, where he later succumbed to internal injuries.
The couple said they informed Sharjah Police that they did not wish to pursue charges against the driver and submitted this in writing before departing the UAE to return home. “Our loss is our loss,” the father said. “We cannot replace it, but we do not want to put another family in grief over something that happened unknowingly.”
Authorities have completed their investigations and referred the case to the Public Prosecution for further action, though it remains unclear how the parents’ pardon will affect legal proceedings. Sharjah Police urged residents and drivers alike to exercise heightened caution to help prevent similar accidents in the future.
The couple had originally planned to spend Ramadan and Eid together in the UAE and celebrate their son’s upcoming second birthday on April 23. They described their decision to forgive the driver as an attempt to prevent further suffering and to honour their son’s memory without creating additional hardship for another family.