Lebanese singer Al-Walid Al-Hallani was in police custody on Wednesday after his car struck and killed a 50-year-old Palestinian refugee on a road in Beirut the previous evening.
In a statement outlining the 26-year-old singer’s account of the incident, his office said he was driving in an area with no street lighting, close to the entrance to the Saeb Salam tunnel, when he was suddenly confronted by a pedestrian in the road. He attempted to avoid the man but the side mirror of his vehicle hit him, it continued.
The singer immediately stopped and called the Lebanese Red Cross requesting medical assistance, and remained at the scene until emergency services arrived to help the victim. He also notified the security forces himself and voluntarily accompanied them to a police station, placing himself at the disposal of the judiciary and security authorities for all necessary legal procedures, his office added.
The statement emphasized that the singer was fully cooperating with the investigation and had confidence in the Lebanese judiciary.
A security source told Arab News that laboratory tests had found no traces of alcohol or drugs in Al-Hallani’s system.
The singer had just left a business meeting and was on his way to dinner when the accident occurred, according to his lawyer, Marc Habka.
