Driver jailed after restaurant crash kills three

An Angolan expat has been jailed for one month for killing three people after crashing into a Dubai restaurant in a drink-driving incident in July, it was reported on Tuesday.

The Dubai Traffic Misdemeanour Court jailed the 21-year-old Angolan man, named only as LN, and fined him AED 20,000 (US $5444) after he crashed into a restaurant in Al Barsha.

The defendant, who entered a guilty plea, was ordered to pay AED 600,000 ($163,365) in blood money to the families of the three victims — an Indian worker and two cooks, a Pakistani and a Nepalese, Gulf News reported.

According to the primary judgement, the defendant was also fined AED200 ($54) for driving with an expired licence.

The civil lawsuit lodged by one of the injured victims has been referred to the Dubai Civil Court, the report added.

According to records, the defendant had 136 mg/dl of alcohol in his system when he crashed the car in the early hours of July 26 in Al Barsha 3.

It was reported that the defendant suddenly lost control over his speeding vehicle, then veered off the right lane of the double-lane road, ran over a pedestrian and crashed into the restaurant.

The primary judgement remains subject to appeal within seven days.