RIYADH — Police in Riyadh have arrested a driver for hitting a number of spectators while recently joyriding in Janadriyah, Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Wednesday. The suspect was driving a yellow Nissan and sped away after the incident. Saudis angered by the video clip asked the police to track down the driver and punish him for his total disregard for the safety of others. Police spokesman Hassan Al-Hassan said the video clip helped the homicide department and research teams of the traffic police to nab the suspect and confiscate the car he had dumped behind a rest house in the Thumamah district. Al-Hassan said because traffic police in the capital city have cracked down on this activity, the culprits have shifted their activities to suburban areas in the south and east of Riyadh. Existing punishments for joy riders include confiscation of cars, fines and imprisonment. The Kingdom's Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Asheikh has ruled joy riding an un-Islamic since it may cause injury to and loss of human life. He called on the authorities to put an end to this reckless behavior. — SG
