MELAKA: A 35-year-old car driver who is believed to have dozed off before crashing into five vehicles, resulting in the death of a motorcyclist, claimed trial at the magistrate's court in Ayer Keroh here to a charge of dangerous driving causing a fatality.
The plea of the accused, Ng Chun Twan, was recorded before magistrate Uthman Abd Ghani on Friday (Feb 13).
According to the charge sheet, the accused allegedly drove a car in a dangerous manner, leading to an accident that caused the death of Mohd Shahrul Anuar Md Roby, 44.
The offence was allegedly committed at the traffic light junction at Padang Jambu, Lebuh Ayer Keroh, in the Melaka Tengah district at about 1.30pm on Feb 10.
If convicted, he faces a jail term of not less than five years and not more than 10 years, as well as a fine ranging from RM20,000 to RM50,000 under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 1999).
A conviction may also result in disqualification from holding a driving licence for a period of not less than five years.
Earlier, prosecuting officer Insp Nur Zaidah Muhamad Zailani proposed bail at RM20,000 with an additional condition that the accused surrender his driving licence to the court. The accused, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lower bail, citing his income as a logistics worker.
The court allowed bail to be set at RM6,000, ordered his licence to be compounded and required him to report to the nearest police station monthly.
The next mention date was fixed on April 2. In the incident, which went viral on social media, a motorcyclist was killed while four others, including the accused, were injured after the car the accused was driving allegedly veered into the opposite lane.
Mohd Shahrul Anuar, a father of four, was pronounced dead at the spot due to severe head and bodily injuries. The deceased was reportedly on his way to pick up his child, who is a person with disabilities, from school at the time of the crash.
The tragic accident involved six vehicles, including three motorcycles. Melaka Tengah OCPD Asst Comm Christopher Patit was reported as saying that initial investigations found the accused is believed to have dozed off before entering the opposite lane and crashing into vehicles that were stopped at the junction.
