‘Police investigate death of trailer driver after ‘driving in opposite direction’

AMMAN — Police are investigating a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a trailer driver during a reported chase by a Jordan Customs Department (JCD) patrol while driving in the opposite direction on the Aqaba Highway over the weekend, official sources said.

The driver of the trailer allegedly evaded a routine customs point by driving in the opposite direction of the four-lane highway on Friday, a senior JCD official said.

“A customs patrol chased the trailer for a couple of minutes and it slammed head on into an oncoming tipper,” the JCD official told The Jordan Times.

The driver of the trailer died instantly, the JCD official added, while the driver of the tipper was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the tipper was admitted to the intensive care unit and was released to a room on Saturday but his situation remains critical, according to the JCD official.

 “We are looking for answers since nothing illegal was found in the possession of the deceased driver or in his trailer,” the JCD official said.

A video of the alleged chase went viral and showed a car with flashing lights chasing a trailer.  By the end of the almost one-minute video clip, the trailer could be seeing veering to the left and slamming head on with the tipper.

Police Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi told The Jordan Times that investigations are ongoing.

“We are currently investigating the incident and once the investigation is over we will refer the case to the judiciary,” the police official said.