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Indian student in Dubai run over by speeding car while waiting for roadside assistance
Naifa Balkies Hameed died after a speeding vehicle allegedly struck her while she stood behind her car in Dubai’s Al Rashidiya area.
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A routine drive to university turned fatal for a 21-year-old Indian student in Dubai. Naifa Balkies Hameed's car got a flat tyre and she was allegedly struck by a speeding vehicle while waiting for assistance on the roadside.
Balkies Hameed, an architecture student at Canadian University Dubai, died on Thursday after the crash in Dubai’s Al Rashidiya area. Her family said the accident occurred just minutes after she spoke to her father about the flat tyre. They now hope her death will raise awareness about the dangers faced because of lack of roadside safety.
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What happened?
According to relatives, Naifa called her father, Binu Hameed, while driving to university to inform him that one of her tyres had gone flat. He advised her to contact roadside assistance and take a taxi after the vehicle was towed.
About five minutes later, Binu tried calling his daughter again. She did not answer. The family later received a call from Dubai Police informing them that she had been in a fatal road accident.
Naifa’s uncle told Gulf News that the police told the family she was standing behind her vehicle on Al Khawaneej Street when a speeding vehicle hit her. She reportedly died at the scene.
The family was informed that the driver had been arrested. Dubai Police has not yet publicly commented on the incident. Gulf News reported that it had sought an official response from the police.
Student returned early from Kerala to attend university
Naifa had recently travelled to Kerala with her family for a wedding. While several relatives stayed back for another family event, she returned to Dubai with her mother, Serena, because she did not want to miss university classes.
Her father, brother, sister-in-law and uncle remained in Kerala at the time of the accident.
According to the family's statement to the Gulf News, they had moved to Dubai primarily to support Naifa’s higher education. Her father, a businessman, had previously travelled frequently between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and India and then finally settled permanently in Dubai.
Relatives described Naifa as an experienced driver despite her young age.
Her uncle said she had been driving since she turned 18 and was comfortable handling different vehicles. “Her father is a car enthusiast, and the family owns several vehicles. On the day of the accident, she was driving her brother's car, which had not been used for several days because he was in Kerala,” he said.
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Family urges caution during roadside emergencies
Naifa’s family returned from Kerala to Dubai on Friday after learning about her death. Once authorities completed documentation and repatriation formalities, her body was flown to India on Saturday night.
Friends and relatives gathered at Dubai’s embalming centre to pay their final respects before her remains were transported to Kerala.
Her uncle while remembering her said, “She remembered the birthdays and wedding anniversaries of everyone and made a point of sending cards and gifts. She was friendly with everyone, especially young children.”
She was laid to rest on Sunday at a mosque in her hometown Thodupuzha in Kerala.
