KUCHING: Two of the five victims killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Jalan Teo Kui Seng-Stutong Baru here were teenage passengers in a car driven by a fellow teen that caused the fatal accident.
Kuching district police chief Asst Comm Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the two 16-year-olds who died were among three passengers in the car.
Another teenage girl in the car sustained serious injuries, RTM Sarawak reported him saying on Wednesday (Jan 15).
Initial investigations showed that the crash occurred at 12.50pm on Tuesday (Jan 14) when the 16-year-old boy lost control of the vehicle he was driving, veered into the opposite lane and collided with two cars and two motorcycles.
The teen driver, who sustained neck injuries, has been detained for driving without a licence.
Mohd Farhan said two people in one of the cars hit by the suspect's vehicle died in the incident, while the driver of the other car was safe.
Of the two motorcycle riders, one was killed while the other escaped, he added.
He also urged the public not to spread false information about the accident.
In a statement on Tuesday night, Mohd Farhan said the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless or dangerous driving causing death.
He said four victims - three men and a woman - were pronounced dead at the scene, while another victim died while receiving treatment.
Separately, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii urged parents and guardians to actively educate their children on road safety in the wake of the accident.
"Ensuring that our young people are adequately informed and preventing them from driving without a valid licence is a shared responsibility we must all uphold," he said in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 15).
He also called for proactive safety measures to be taken to prevent further tragedies, including enforcing speed limits and setting up protective barriers between lanes.
"I also wish to remind all road users to exercise greater caution, particularly during this festive season, when traffic volume tends to increase," he said, while also extending condolences to the families of the victims.
