A day at the beach for two Cairo families ended in tragedy on Alexandria’s Corniche El-Shatby when a microbus hit them as they crossed the busy coastal road. CCTV footage shows the group stepping into traffic from a non-designated area, leaving the driver with little to no chance to react in time. Two people were killed instantly, and seven others were rushed to hospital with varying degrees of injuries.

How the Alexandria Accident Happened

According to investigations, the two families arrived at the Corniche in two cars, waiting for local agents to arrange their summer rental apartments. The delay led them to cross the road to take photos by the sea. On their way back, one of the victims attempted to stop traffic to help the others cross. At that moment, a speeding microbus taxi struck them, killing Ali Abdel Halim Abdel Hamid (50) and Hayam Salah Morsi El-Sayed (47).

The injured were identified as Noor Ali Abdel Hamid (12), Hamas Momtaz Hussein (12), Basem Hamdan Hussein (19), Momtaz Hussein Awad (42), Shaimaa Salah Morsi El-Sayed (39), Malak Momtaz Hussein (18), and Tasneem Ali Abdel Halim (30). One of them has since been discharged, while others remain in critical condition and require surgery.

Police arrested the driver, identified as M. L. M., who was reportedly speeding along the coastal road when he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn and hit the pedestrians. The Bab Sharqi Prosecution ordered his detention for four days pending investigation, impounded the vehicle, requested a technical inspection report, heard witness statements, and reviewed CCTV footage from the area.

While CCTV footage of the incident exists, we have chosen not to publish it due to the distressing nature of the scenes.

Jaywalking in Egypt: A Growing Public Safety Crisis

The loss of life is deeply sad, but it would be irresponsible to overlook the circumstances. The families did not use the designated pedestrian crossing nearby. Instead, they crossed a multi-lane road at a random point, one of the most dangerous decisions anyone can make in Egypt’s traffic environment.

This case is not unique. Jaywalking in Egypt has become a widespread and dangerous habit. From Cairo to Alexandria, pedestrians step into oncoming traffic without warning, assuming drivers will somehow stop in time. In reality, even an alert driver at average speed cannot always avoid a collision, especially in busy areas with limited visibility.

Drivers Also Suffer the Consequences

Whenever such accidents happen, the conversation quickly turns into blaming the driver, often without considering whether the pedestrian was at fault. In this case, the driver is now in a detention cell, facing legal consequences that could alter the course of his life.

Drivers who hit jaywalkers face more than just legal procedures. They carry the emotional weight of taking a life, even if they were not at fault. The trauma can last forever. Yet the law frequently puts them in the position of the accused, forcing them to prove their innocence in lengthy, exhausting, and expensive proceedings.

This is not justice. It is a system that fails to protect both pedestrians and drivers by ignoring the root cause: reckless crossing behavior.

Why Jaywalking in Egypt Must Be Taken Seriously

In Egypt, jaywalking is often seen as harmless or even normal, but the statistics tell a different story. Road accidents involving pedestrians remain alarmingly high. In many other countries, crossing outside a designated area can result in heavy fines, and police strictly enforce the rules. Here, it is barely addressed.

The result is a culture where crossing wherever and whenever one pleases is normalized, and drivers are expected to bear the burden when things go wrong. This is unsafe and unfair.

How Egypt Can Combat Jaywalking

Egypt urgently needs a stricter and enforceable law against jaywalking, one that treats it as the serious, life-threatening act it is. This should include:

• Clear and visible pedestrian crossings in high-traffic areas
• Public awareness campaigns on the dangers of jaywalking in Egypt
• Substantial fines for crossing outside designated zones
• Immediate enforcement by traffic police

Until pedestrians are held accountable for their choices on the road, tragedies like the one in El-Shatby will keep happening, and both innocent drivers and families will continue to pay the price.

Two people have lost their lives, and a family is grieving. That grief should not blind us to the fact that this tragedy was preventable. The decision to cross a busy road outside a safe crossing point is an act of extreme irresponsibility. It endangered everyone involved, including the driver, who now faces legal trouble and emotional trauma.

If Egypt truly wants safer roads, the solution is clear: stop normalizing jaywalking, start enforcing the rules, and treat pedestrian safety as seriously as driver accountability. Lives on both sides of the wheel depend on it.