Dubai: A minibus driver “who was overpowered by tiredness” while driving and caused a horrific accident that killed one person and injured 16 on Emirates Road has been jailed for six months and will later be deported.

The 29-year-old Asian driver fell asleep before losing control of the wheel and crashing into a parked car in May, according to traffic prosecutors.

In a rare ruling the Dubai Traffic Misdemeanours Court sentenced the driver to six months followed by deportation.

Presiding judge Jamal Jubaily also fined the defendant Dh5,000 and ordered him to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to the family of the deceased.

Records have shown that it is very rare for a traffic court to deport a defendant who is involved in a traffic accident.

Senior Chief Prosecutor Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution (TPP), said: “We asked for the implementation of the toughest punishment applicable [including deportation] since interrogations exposed that he was over-fatigued and very sleepy. He was overpowered by tiredness and failed to stay alert while driving … he slept and lost control over his steering before his minibus veered off to the right side. Then he crashed into the other car. The Asian was held liable for accidentally killing the other car’s driver and injuring a woman that accompanied him.”

TPP records showed that 15 of the minibus’s passengers were injured.

When the defendant showed appeared in court, he entered a guilty plea.

“We sought the toughest punishment applicable [as per the Penal Law and Traffic Law] against him because the accident was so horrific and led to a person’s death. He shouldn’t have driven the vehicle while fatigued … that’s a very serious crime. Again and again, we call on all drivers and road users to be law-abiding and use the roads safely and cautiously. No one is supposed to sit behind the wheel while sleepy or fatigued because that’s an unsafe and dangerous thing to do,” said Bu Farousha.