KUWAIT CITY, June 2: The Criminal Court sentenced a tow truck driver to four years in prison with hard labor for intentionally causing the 20 percent permanent disability of a Kuwaiti citizen. The case was filed when a traffic dispute escalated into a hit-and- run, resulting in severe injuries to the victim. Attorney Inam Haidar, who represented the victim in court, argued for the civil rights and compensation of her client. Case files indicate that the defendant and the victim had an altercation after a minor collision of their vehicles.
The situation escalated into a verbal argument, after which the defendant drove the tow truck towards the victim, who was standing between the two vehicles. This resulted in the victim being trapped, falling, and sustaining serious injuries.
The court based its ruling on witness testimonies, police investigations, and technical and medical reports that established the defendant’s responsibility for the incident. The forensic report confirmed that the victim suffered multiple fractures in the lumbar and sacral vertebrae and pelvic bones, necessitating surgical intervention and the insertion of metal plates and screws, resulting in a permanent disability estimated at 20 percent of his total bodily function.
The court also relied on the report of the technical expert from the Traffic Accident Investigation Department, who held the defendant fully responsible, confirming that the injuries resulted from the victim being run over by a tow truck he was operating. In its reasoning, the court affirmed the presence of criminal intent and the defendant’s commission of the crime based on corroborating oral and technical evidence, sentencing him to four years in prison with hard labor. Meanwhile, the civil aspect of the case was referred to the competent court to adjudicate the compensation claims submitted by the victim through his lawyer, Inam Haidar.
By Jaber Al-Humoud Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff
