Policeman manning roadblock narrowly escapes out-of-control vehicle in Penang

Constable R. Sritheran, 43, showing how close the car came to hitting him as he was manning a roadblock along the Lim Chong Eu Expressway on July 6, 2019.

GEORGE TOWN: A policeman manning a roadblock to catch drunk drivers on the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway narrowly escaped being rammed by a car driven by a man under the influence of alcohol.

In the 1.50am incident on Saturday (July 6), the policeman was manning a roadblock when a vehicle driven by a 27-year-old rammed another vehicle and headed straight towards him.

With little time to react, he rushed to the side of the road and the out-of-control vehicle narrowly missed him.

The 27-year-old driver, who was driving from George Town to Bayan Lepas, and the driver of the other vehicle both escaped unhurt.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Che Zaimani Che Awang said investigations revealed the driver's blood alcohol content was above permissible levels.

"The incident happened near the roadblock which was carried out by the police called 'Ops Mabuk' on the expressway," he added.

ACP Zaimani said the man would be charged at the Special Traffic Court under Section 45A(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 on Thursday (July 11).