KOTA KINABALU: A local has pleaded guilty to drunk driving that led to a crash that killed two sisters near Kota Kinabalu International Airport off Jalan Kepayan here five months ago.
Walter Witjoanes, 23, who made the plea in Traffic Court on Thursday (Jan 9) was driving a four-wheel-drive truck with a blood alcohol content of 247mg per 100ml, exceeding the legal limit.
Witjoanes’s vehicle collided with the victims’ car travelling in the same lane, causing it to spin and crash in the middle of the road before it caught fire. Sisters Dg Nurshamirah Dulamit, 27, and 24-year-old Dg Nurshatirah died on Aug 30, 2024 at 2:35am.
Appearing before Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali, Witjoanes was charged under Section 44(1)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
If found guilty, he faces a jail sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison, a fine of between RM50,000 and RM100,000, and disqualification from holding a driving licence upon conviction.
The magistrate postponed the hearing of facts and sentencing until January 23, following the prosecution's request to finalise the necessary documents.
Witjoanes was granted bail of RM9,000, with two sureties. His driving licence has been confiscated and will remain suspended until the case is resolved.
