A 21-year-old man lost his life while attempting to assist a friend whose vehicle had run out of fuel at Kilometre 2.6 of the East-West Highway (JRTB) linking Gerik and Jeli on Monday.
The victim had reportedly arrived at the scene on a motorcycle at approximately 5.15 pm after being contacted by his friend, who was stranded in a Proton Saga.
Gerik District Police Chief, Superintendent Abdul Samad Othman, stated that preliminary investigations revealed the two men were in the process of refilling the car’s tank on the right side of the road when the tragedy occurred.
A vehicle, believed to be white in colour and travelling from the direction of Jeli towards Gerik, suddenly struck the victim. The driver of the unidentified vehicle failed to stop and fled the scene immediately after the collision.
The young man sustained critical injuries and was rushed to the Emergency Unit of Gerik Hospital for medical attention. Despite the efforts of healthcare professionals, he succumbed to his injuries at approximately 10.50 pm that night.
The driver of the Proton Saga escaped the incident without any physical injuries.
Authorities have classified the case under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving. The police are now appealing to the public for any information regarding the white vehicle involved in the crash.
Witnesses or those with relevant dashcam footage are urged to contact the Traffic Division of the Gerik District Police Headquarters (IPD) at 05-7912222 to assist with the ongoing investigation.
