I was driving home from work at about 7pm on a Sunday. Suddenly, a woman stepped out in front of my car and I did not have time to stop. She was speaking on her phone and did not even turn to look before I hit her. She was thrown forwards about 5 or 6 metres and then landed on the road. The first thought in my mind was that she was dead, but then I was relieved to see her move. The police arrived very quickly because the accident happened right in front of a police station. The police told everyone not to try and move her, but she sat up of her own accord, so some people helped her to her feet and took her straight into Amman hospital which was on the other side of the road, opposite the police station.
Amman Hospital
Sign this – don't worry about what it says!
They asked me to sign a piece of paper which was all in Arabic to promise that I or my insurance would cover all the costs of her treatment. However, I thought it wise to phone a local friend to come and translate it for me first in case it said anything else I would not want to sign. My friend arrived and then I signed the paper, once I was sure what it said.
Even if a pedestrian falls off a building onto your car, it is still your fault
Then I was taken across to the police station while my friend stayed at the hospital to monitor the lady’s recovery situation and to talk to her family who had also arrived at the hospital. I also called someone from my work to come and help talk to them and to the police on my behalf. I was well aware that the law in Jordan states that in any car accident involving a pedestrian, it is always deemed to be the driver’s fault, no matter what the circumstances. The police reiterated this point to me by telling me, "Even if a pedestrian falls off a building onto your car, it is still your fault in Jordan but, God-willing, you will be OK.” I was also aware that many drivers end up in prison in situations like this in Jordan, and began preparing myself for this possibility.
Caught by my Angel
Miraculously, the woman did not have a serious concussion or even any broken bones, leading me to think that she might have been caught by my angel. My local friend did a great job of reassuring her family that my insurance would cover everything and at about 11pm they came over to the police station to sign a form stating that they did not wish to press charges against me. If they had not signed this form, I would have had at least a night in jail before going to the court the next day. In the room where I was waiting, about 7 prisoners were being held in a metal cage which was barely big enough for them. Someone explained to me that they were illegal immigrants. I was grateful that I was not told to wait in there with them.
Are you guilty?
The next morning, my friend and I went back to the police station and then to the court with one of the police officers. The judge took down all the details needed to open a case file for the accident. She asked me if I admitted that I was guilty of hitting the woman with my car, but was not interested in any of the circumstances of the accident - in Jordan there is no point in asking this because of the law. She set a date for a hearing 2 weeks later and then we left.
We went straight from the court to visit the lady in hospital and to give her a gift. My friend was advising me on the local customs in this situation. After 2 days of observation, she was released from hospital and I went to pay her bill which seemed extortionate but no one was surprised because they all knew that it would be covered by insurance.
Cultural expectations
My friend advised me that we should also visit her family so we went 2 days later, bearing 3 big boxes of fruit and more chocolates and spent some time with her male relatives. This was important, he said, because the family could decide to change their minds and press charges or demand a lot of money from us at any time before the next hearing. Usually, in Jordan, I would have needed to take many people with me from my tribe, but they settled for this since I am British. I found out from her brother that he had a similar accident 15 years ago and he was the driver. He had to stay in prison for several weeks until the matter was resolved between their respective tribes.
Kate also visited them the next day together with the kids and two other friends. The lady said that the first thing she thought after finding out that I was British was, ‘Oh no! If he is British, how are we going to manage to resolve this between my tribe and his tribe.’ We are thankful that our local friends helped us to know the right thing to do in this culture and that her family are nice people. Some families in Jordan would have seen it as an opportunity to get lots of money from a foreigner. It was also quite amazing that the accident happened in what might be the only place in Amman where there is a police station opposite a hospital, which made the whole process much easier.
