A 17-year-old Form Five student was left seriously injured after being struck by a four-wheel-drive vehicle while attempting to cross the road in an incident along Kilometer 19 of Jalan Baru Papar–Kota Kinabalu on Thursday.
The accident, which occurred at around 2pm, resulted in the teenage girl suffering a fractured leg and head injuries. The case has since drawn public attention after footage of the incident circulated on social media.
Papar district police chief Superintendent Heryan Mohd Tahir said preliminary investigations found that the 4WD, driven by a 23-year-old local man, was travelling from Papar towards Kota Kinabalu at the time of the incident.
“Upon reaching the location, the victim is believed to have suddenly crossed the road, leaving the driver with no time to react, resulting in the collision,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
The impact caused the victim to sustain injuries to her head and a fracture to her left leg. She was subsequently rushed to Hospital Queen Elizabeth I (HQEI) in Kota Kinabalu for further treatment.
Meanwhile, the driver escaped unharmed, and the vehicle involved has been taken to the Papar district police headquarters for further investigation. Authorities are urging members of the public with information to come forward as the case is being investigated under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
