A 20-year-old UAE University student died on the way home to Ras Al Khaimah after a heavy tanker veered into the car she was travelling in, leaving her classmate injured.
SHARJAH — 19 October 2026 : A 20-year-old Emirati undergraduate died instantly on Al Dhaid Road after an oil products tanker veered off course and rammed the passenger side of the car she was travelling in, family members confirmed.
The victim, a resident of Ras Al Khaimah studying at United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) in Al Ain, was returning home for the weekend when the collision took place on Friday afternoon.
Her classmate, who was driving the saloon car, sustained a hand fracture and minor injuries. Paramedics rushed the driver to a nearby hospital, where physicians stabilized her condition. The 20-year-old passenger succumbed to catastrophic injuries at the scene before emergency crews could extricate her.
Family members said the student usually commuted between the Al Ain campus and Ras Al Khaimah via a pre-arranged minibus alongside four other classmates. On Friday, another friend offered to drive them back in a private vehicle. The victim agreed to ride in the front passenger seat so her friend would not make the long trek across the emirates alone.
That decision proved fatal along the Al Dhaid corridor—a heavily frequented arterial route connecting Sharjah’s central region with the northern emirates that carries a high volume of heavy commercial transport and industrial tankers. Relatives said the fuel tanker suddenly drifted out of its lane, striking the car squarely on the passenger door.
Grief swept through UAE University and her hometown over the weekend. Friends and former schoolmates described her as an exceptionally gentle, generous peer who had spent her school and university years entirely free of friction with those around her.
Hundreds of mourners gathered for her funeral prayers immediately following Friday afternoon prayers. She was laid to rest at Al Oreibi Cemetery in Ras Al Khaimah.
Traffic authorities continue to examine the exact site conditions and commercial vehicle compliance along the corridor following the crash.
