A man was injured after a pickup truck suddenly crashed into a roadside food stall along Jalan Kepong Baru in Kepong Baru this afternoon.
The incident occurred at around 3pm at a T-junction in the Kepong Baru food street area. The cause of the crash remains unclear.
When reporters arrived at the scene, the injured man was seen bleeding from the head, with bystanders urging him to stay conscious. Members of the Kepong rescue team provided initial treatment while waiting for medical assistance.
The accident drew a large crowd of onlookers, causing vehicles to slow down and resulting in traffic congestion along the road.
An ambulance arrived at about 3.47pm and rushed the injured man to hospital for further treatment.
An aide to Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng, Lai Jun Quan, who was at the scene, said the pickup truck veered into the roadside stalls, striking a couple who were walking along the road shoulder. The male pedestrian was injured in the crash.
“The driver has fled the scene. The victim appears to have multiple abrasions, and injuries to his leg, neck and spine cannot be ruled out,” he said.
Lim Lip Eng later said the impact could have been far worse if Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had not previously installed safety barriers along the food street.
He noted that the installation of the barriers had initially been opposed by many stall operators, but they have since proven effective in reducing the severity of such incidents.
“In the past, illegal roadside parking reduced the road to a single lane, causing severe congestion. Since the barriers were installed, diners now use proper parking spaces and traffic flow has improved,” he said.
Lim added that the land occupied by more than 40 food stalls is designated as reserve land, and while the stalls may need to be relocated if future road expansion plans are implemented, there are currently no such plans in place.
