Jordan MP, family killed in Desert Highway road crash

MP Mohammad Amamreh and several relatives died late on Saturday on Jordan's dangerous Desert Highway, often described as "the road of death".

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

22 April, 2018

Jordan has a dire road safety record [File photo Getty]

A Jordanian MP and five of his family members were killed late on Saturday after their car collided with a winch truck, according to the Jordan Times.

The truck's driver and his assistant were also killed in the crash on the desert highway south of Amman, along with MP Mohammad Amamreh, his wife, three children and his brother-in-law, a security source told AFP.

Amamreh and his family immediately died after "strong impact" with the truck. The truck passengers died shortly after being admitted to hospital, according to a Civil Defence Department (CDD) report.

Parliament speaker Atef Tarawneh expressed his sorrow at the loss of Amamreh, a 53-year-old former army colonel from the southern Jordanian city of Maan.

Tarawneh decided to cancel a parliamentary session that was slated for Sunday, with a new date set for Monday, a statement said.

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Jordan has a dire road safety record, with 750 people killed in 2016, nearly 150 more than the previous year.

Accidents are often attributed to the poor state of roads, disregard for driving rules and bad weather conditions, including sandstorms.

The desert highway that stretches from Amman to the southern port city of Aqaba is often the scene of fatal crashes.

Tarawneh has been a consistent critic of the government over the poor road condition of the Desert Highway, which he has previously called the "road of death".

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