Car set ablaze after villagers suspect driver of being intoxicated during crash

KEPALA BATAS: A car was set on fire after villagers suspected the driver, a 56-year-old woman, of being intoxicated during a crash involving two other motorcycles on Jalan Ara Kuda here.

Seberang Prai Utara OCPD Asst Comm Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the woman, a vegetable seller, was on her way back to her house at Bumbong Lima from Kubang Semang in the 9.50pm incident on Thursday (June 18).

"When the woman was driving on Jalan Ara Kuda, she swerved her car to avoid an animal but unfortunately collided with two motorcycles coming from the opposite direction," he said in a statement on Saturday (June 20).

ACP Noorzainy said the two 14-year-olds, who were twins, both suffered broken legs.

They were sent to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital for treatment and later transferred to the Seberang Jaya Hospital.

The woman left the scene to lodge a police report but her car was set ablaze at about 2am on June 19.

ACP Noorzainy said the car was not on fire when police were investigating the scene of the accident.

He said police rubbished a viral message that claimed the woman was driving under the influence of alcohol as she tested negative for alcohol consumption.

He said police are now looking for suspects responsible for torching the car.

The case is being investigated under Section 43(1)(A) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for careless driving and Section 435 of the Penal Code for arson.