Egyptian Minister of State for Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates’ Affairs Nabila Makram made a phone call with Egyptian truck driver Ahmed Shaaban who lives in the US, to thank him for his courage after he helped US authorities catch a fugitive criminal. He made headlines in the American media in the state of California.
Minister Makram said Egypt took pride in Shaaban’s brave action, which conveyed a message to the entire world on how brave Egyptians are, according to a ministry statement.
For his part, Shaaban said that he was proud of being Egyptian, commending President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s relentless efforts to protect the country and keep in contact with the Egyptian communities abroad.
He said he had deliberately crashed his truck into a pickup driven by a murder suspect, ending an hours-long police chase.
The Tuesday night chase started in Temecula, California, and wound through several counties. It included near collisions, the running of red lights, wrong-way driving and driving on sidewalks.
More than an hour into the chase, Shaaban caught a glimpse of it in Pomona while in the area to pick up a load.
In an interview with Fox News, the Egyptian hero described how he saw the chase while driving his vehicle, but the situation changed when he realised it was close by and blocked the fugitive’s route with his truck before the airbags in his car were activated due to the force of the collision.
Shaaban explained how he slowed his pace until he came face to face with the fugitive’s car at the intersection, and when he tried to flee from his truck again, he was left with the truck across the street paused until he was totally stuck between him and the police on the other side.
When asked if he feared for his safety, Shaaban said he had served in the Egyptian army, where he learned not to be afraid and to act under pressure and not to hesitate.
“If I hadn’t stopped him, he would have killed someone else,” NBC quoted him as saying. That was the hero’s main concern.
“I was just thinking of getting him out of the way,” he added. “The cops have been after him for a long time and haven’t stopped him while my vehicle has the power, and it’s my duty.”
During the interview, Shaaban wore a t-shirt that read “Egyptian Father”, next to the Egyptian flag.
