DAMAGED......The
vehicles were badly damaged after the incident.
By : KELIMEN SAWATAN
KOTA KINABALU: Five people,
including two couples, were killed on the spot in an accident along Jalan
Sepanggar near the Industrial Training Institute (ILP) building near here early
yesterday morning. Three other persons were also seriously injured in the
incident which occurred about 12.40am.
The couples, Ramsin @
Taminsin Pahang, 59, and his wife Siti Runi Tarawi, 55, Asan @ Hassan Jimi, 55,
and his wife Saimah Jamin, 51, and another victim Taripan Tamin, 53, who were
travelling in an Isuzu Invader vehicle, succumbed to severe body and head
injuries.
Meanwhile, three persons
were seriously hurt. They were Chong Chee Kiong, 23, who was the driver of the
Kia Sorento vehicle, and his two passengers Sheena Patrick, 28, and Lily
Govinjen, 56.
It is believed that those
killed were on their way home to Beaufort after attending a Malaysia Day programme
held at Pantai Dalit in Tuaran, near here.
According to one of the
deceased’s friends, Aping Akang, 62, he was also on his way to Beaufort after
attending the Merdeka Day program when the incident happened.
He said the deceased had
left the event earlier than he did as he and his friends wanted to wait for
midnight to celebrate Malaysia Day.
Aping said he was shocked to
find out that the vehicle which was involved in the incident was his friend’s.
“I never expected that they
would be involved in an accident as prior to the event, I had followed their
vehicle from Beaufort to Pantai Dalit, Tuaran,” he said.
City police chief Assistant
Commissioner Jauteh Dikun when contacted yesterday said, the fatal incident was
believed to have occurred when the Kia Sorento, which was travelling from the
city towards Jalan Sepanggar, was hit from behind by a Mitsubishi Triton.
As a result, he said the
driver of the Kia Sorento lost control of the wheel causing the vehicle to skid
to the opposite road before colliding with the Isuzu Invader which was
travelling towards the city.
“After that a Toyota Vigo
which was also travelling towards the city hit the back of the Isuzu Invader,”
he said.
He disclosed that due to the
impact of the collision, the driver and the four passengers of the Isuzu
Invader died at the scene while the driver and the passengers of the Kia
Sorento suffered serious injuries.
Jauteh however said the
driver of the Toyota Vigo only suffered minor injuries while the driver of the
Mitsubishi Triton left the scene after the incident.
He disclosed that the bodies
of the killed persons were sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) II for a
post-mortem while the three injured persons were admitted to the same hospital
for treatment and were reported in stable condition.
According to him, at about
4am, a police team from Kota Kinabalu district police, who was on crime
prevention patrol, found the Mitsubishi Triton abandoned at Taman Bukit
Sepangar, about two kilometres from the incident.
He stressed that the police
were still searching for the driver of the Mitsubishi Triton and its passenger
and added that the case was being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road
Transport Act 1987 for dangerous driving which resulted in the death of the
five persons.
Beaufort member of
parliament Datuk Seri Panglima Lajim Hj Ukin was also present at the scene. (BP)
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