Dubai: Corporal Murad Abbas Murad lost both legs from injuries after a truck crashed into him while he was rescuing an accident victim from a burning truck in Dubai in 2021.
The Emirati officer, who works in the Patrol and Traffic Department of Dubai Police, thought his life would never be the same again. But his perseverance and support from Dubai Police endured; Cpl Murad rejoined work within two years after undergoing rehabilitation and using prosthetic legs.
The 29-year-old’s journey - as well his daily work life - was narrated in a video played on the opening day, Tuesday, of the World Police Summit in Dubai. Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the Summit, Cpl Murad recalled the fateful day and his resolve to overcome the challenges.
What happened
On October 7, 2021, Cpl Murad was leaving his evening shift when he received a report of a truck accident. He quickly arrived at the accident site and heard a person saying there was a individual inside the burning truck.
Cpl Murad ran to rescue the injured person. He broke the window to get the injured person out of the truck. Meanwhile, another truck, whose driver had lost control and failed to brake in time, hit the police patrol vehicle as well as Cpl Murad.
The accident resulted in the loss of both his legs.
Restoring hope
“After the accident, I lost hope that I would return to how I was, but the Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, restored my hope. He provided me all kinds of care and arranged for my prosthetic limbs,” Cpl Murad said.
He spent the next year and a half under treatment in Chicago, USA. He returned to the UAE and underwent rehabilitation for three months.
During his treatment, rehabilitation and recovery, Dubai Police, led by Lt Gen Al Marri, communicated with Cpl Murad on a daily basis to check on his health, he said.
“All Dubai Police personnel from all departments came to visit me at the hospital at the time of the accident to check on my health and followed up after I returned to the country. Dubai Police instilled hope in me and gave me the strength to return to how I was before the accident. Dubai Police is number one in everything.”
Cpl Murad continues to work in the Traffic and Patrols Department, from the office.“I’m very excited about my work. I do miss going out on patrol and helping people in the field,” he said.
