Court hands life sentence to student responsible for deadly Irbid crash

The Grand Criminal Court sentenced a university student to life in prison for causing a tragic traffic accident in Irbid that left six people dead and two others injured.

The court acquitted a second defendant of charges related to aiding and abetting intentional murder and attempted murder. It found the primary defendant, in his twenties, guilty of multiple counts of willful murder and sentenced him to life.

In August last year, the defendant caused a fatal accident while speeding on a two-way street in a populated area with no central divider. The court's verdict detailed how the second defendant, upon noticing the primary defendant approaching rapidly from behind, moved aside to let him pass. The primary defendant then accelerated further, ignoring speed bumps and driving recklessly.

Losing control of his vehicle, the defendant struck six pedestrians and injured two others walking outside the roadway. His vehicle continued to veer off course, colliding with trees and damaging the gate of a nearby house.

Investigations confirmed the road’s speed limit was 40-50 km/h, while the defendant was driving at over 94 km/h. The court concluded, based on an accident report and expert testimony, that the defendant's reckless and showy driving was solely responsible for the incident, with no involvement from other vehicles.