‘Wrongful overtaking’ reason for fatal accident that killed 4 family members

AMMAN — Traffic police on Tuesday said wrongful overtaking was the cause of the run-over road accident that left four family members, including three children, dead on the Amman-Zarqa Highway a day earlier.

Two sisters, aged 14 and 17-survived the accident when one of them saw a speeding vehicle coming their way and pushed her sister away, according to a close family member.

The four individuals, including a 32-years-oold man and three children, aged between 11 and 14 had finished crossing the street after visiting the zoo late Monday night and stood near the main road when they were run over by a vehicle, a senior traffic official said.

“Our initial investigations indicated that the motorist was attempting to overtake a vehicle from the right side and was surprised by the four who were standing on the side road,” the traffic official told The Jordan Times.

The four victims “died immediately because of the strong impact”, according to the traffic official.

The official added that the driver “lost control of his vehicle in the process and it swerved towards a sandy barricade and some rocks before reaching its final stop”.

“His vehicle was smashed from both sides due to the impact of the accident,” the traffic official explained.

The traffic official added that the “22-year-old driver immediately turned himself in to police and is currently in custody pending further investigations”.

The victims were taken to a nearby hospital by Civil Defence Department (CDD) ambulances for an official government autopsy, a CDD official said.

A family relative told The Jordan Times that there were more children from the same family who remained at the zoo.

“There was a group of children and adults who decided to spend more time in the zoo. Otherwise, the number of fatalities would have been much higher,” the family member explained.

He added that the two sisters who survived witnessed part of the accident.

“One of the sisters saw the vehicle approaching them and pulled her sibling to the back and saved both their lives as the car passed in front of them,” the relative said.

The adult who was with the children is survived by his pregnant wife and a two-year-old boy, according to the relative.

“The entire family is devastated because of the grave loss and the fact that many of the family members saw their loved ones lying dead on the street,” the relative said.