A 49-year-old Public Works Department (JPS) employee who was found unconscious inside a departmental sports utility vehicle (SUV) after it crashed at Tonggak 10, Sungai Besar, has been confirmed to have died from a heart attack.
Sabak Bernam district police chief Superintendent Md Yusof Ahmad said police received information about the incident at around 7.35pm yesterday after the victim was found unresponsive inside the vehicle.
Initial investigations identified the deceased as a Malaysian man who worked as a public service driver with JPS Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Md Yusof said the victim had been assigned to transport a team of Kelantan athletes taking part in the Malaysia Games (Sukma) chess event in Sabak Bernam.
“He was carrying the Kelantan athlete team for the chess event at Sukma in Sabak Bernam. There were no criminal elements involved, while a post-mortem conducted at the hospital found that the cause of death was a heart attack,” he said.
The incident came to light after members of the public found the Nissan X-Trail, which belonged to JPS, with its doors locked and sought assistance to gain access to the vehicle.
The vehicle was subsequently opened, allowing members of the public and authorities to check on the driver.
Police confirmed that the incident was not linked to any criminal activity, while the medical findings established the cause of death.
The case highlights how a medical emergency can occur unexpectedly while driving, with the vehicle subsequently leaving the road and crashing at the location.
