KOTA KINABALU: Four young men killed in a multi-vehicle crash in Sepanggar over the weekend were laid to rest following a joint funeral Mass at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church in KKIP here on Tuesday (Sept 29).
The victims, identified as Nicholas Thomas, Axelord Nigel Alexander, Ryanniel Robin, and Junior Allyson A. Julius, died at the scene of the five-vehicle collision along Jalan Sepanggar early Sunday morning (Sept 27).
Hundreds of relatives, friends, and parishioners filled the church for the funeral service, which was officiated by Rev Fr Sylvester Wong.
The incident occurred at approximately 2.30am near Taman Jaya Diri. According to preliminary reports, the Perodua Viva carrying the four victims was travelling along Jalan Sepanggar when the driver lost control of the vehicle.
The car veered off the road and collided with several vehicles parked on the roadside, resulting in a chain-reaction crash involving five automobiles.
All four occupants were pinned inside the wreckage of the subcompact car. Emergency responders pronounced them dead at the scene.
During the service, representatives of the Divine Mercy Catholic Church paid tribute to the victims, noting their active participation in parish community activities. Nicholas, in particular, served as a guitarist, keyboardist, and psalmist in the church’s music ministry.
“The memories of their service to God and the community will continue to live in the hearts of those who served alongside them,” the parish said in a statement issued during the funeral.
Police investigations into the cause of the crash remain ongoing.
