PETALING JAYA: A witness to a go-kart accident in Puchong, which left a 21-year-old student with severe head injuries, said other karts continued racing while the victim waited for help.
The witness, who identified herself only as Lee, was among 13 friends who visited the circuit in the early hours of July 11, including the victim.
She said they arrived at about 12.15am after the victim and several friends had waited in the queue for about two hours.
“I was at the spectator area taking pictures. It was not even the victim’s first complete round yet but within a few minutes, I noticed from afar that someone’s helmet was rolling off on the track.
“I saw the person (victim) standing and covered in red from head to toe. A marshal wanted to attend to the victim, but it took several minutes as he was waiting for other cars to pass before crossing over. He then brought the victim to the side.
“Cars were still racing and the marshal did not tell them to stop or raise the flags,” she said.
Lee said friends who frequently visited the circuit told her there were usually three marshals stationed at each post, including the area where the accident occurred.
She said the area was a blind spot for racers, but there was no marshal there when the accident happened.
“When we asked for CCTV footage of that spot, the staff said they did not have any cameras there, which could have recorded what happened,” she added.
Lee said the marshal called for an ambulance, but it took too long to arrive.
“My friends and I then took the victim in one of the staff cars to a hospital about 10 minutes away,” she said, adding that the staff member drove them to the hospital and left afterwards.
Lee said participants were given a safety briefing through a video, which was also available on social media.
“They did give us a balaclava. Women with long hair were asked to wear the balaclava and a hoodie, while men were told to wear just the balaclava,” she added.
Lee said stopping the race immediately after the accident could also have alerted others on the track to provide assistance.
“There was also no designated medical team. I was the one trying to stop the bleeding,” she said.
Separately, the victim’s guardian said a waiver form had been signed online before the victim took part in the race, adding that the police probe was still pending.
However, the Puchong go-kart circuit operator has denied allegations of negligence, according to a previous news report.
The company said the race was stopped immediately after the crash and marshals responded according to established protocols.
