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Abu Dhabi cop changes tyre for stranded Indian woman

Her car’s tyre burst during a drive from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi

Ruby Mathew got her driving licence just three months back. The Al Ain-based nurse from the south Indian state of Kerala went through one of her most dreadful moments when her car’s tyre burst during a drive from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi, that too in a deserted place on a Friday morning.

And she got help from the most unexpected hands. Abu Dhabi policemen came to her rescue after they received a call from her husband Mathew Joy, who was at his workplace in Abu Dhabi airport. The police, with the help from two workers from a nearby farm, changed the tyre.

"I was driving at 120kmph and the tyre exploded as I got closer to the Al Kahazna exit on the Al Ain-Abu Dhabi highway. The car automatically began swerving to the right," she recalled.

The vehicle came to a screeching halt and Ruby double-parked the vehicle near the entrance of a farm in Al Ain.

She was driving to meet her husband Mathew Joy, an employee at the Abu Dhabi airport, to head out for a social event on last Friday.

The incident took place at 8.30am. However, as Ruby got out of her car, she realised that there was no one in sight, and very few vehicles were passing down the highway. "I got my driver’s licence about three months ago. And this was my very first accident. I was worried as I’d never changed the tyres of a car before," she said.

A Bangladeshi national, who was working on the farm nearby, noticed Ruby stranded alone on the highway and came to her help. He assured her that Al Kahazna petrol station was a few kilometres away and "that made me feel better and I called my husband informing him of the accident," she said.

Recalling the incident, Mathew Joy said: "I was a little away from her, and I decided to call the police for help. I was very worried as she was all alone." Joy spoke to the police who took down Ruby’s location details. "I was under the impression that the police would not go to help someone who needs their car tyres changed," he added. Surprisingly, in the next call, he made to his wife, the policemen were already on the spot.

"When I called her again in the next five minutes, I realised that the Abu Dhabi Police was with her, and they’d begun changing the car’s tyre with the help of some of the workers in the nearby farm," he added.

Ruby said: "When I was waiting for help to arrive, I saw a few men, holding UAE flags walking down the highway, and they were escorted by the police. The officers quickly came to my help, and helped change the tyre with assistance from workers in the nearby farm."

"I was fortunate that the police and a few good Samaritans came forward to help me, also it was a good thing that the accident took place in the morning and not at night," she added.

Mathew also thanked the Abu Dhabi police for taking immediate action. "Some special thanks also go out to the two farm workers who helped change the car tyres, and assured my wife that everything will be alright," added Mathew.