By Aida Aziz
Photo Polis
PARIT: Two men died when the four-wheel drive Toyota Hilux they were driving fell into a water canal in Kampung Pulau Pisang, Bota Kiri here yesterday.
Deputy Chief of Perak Tengah Police District, DSP Mohd Uzir Ismail, said the accident occurred around 11:40 in the morning, causing the 39-year-old driver and his 25-year-old passenger to die at the scene.
Mohd Uzir mentioned that the accident is believed to have happened as the victims were transporting palm oil fruit bunches from a plantation in Kampung Pulau Pisang to Jalan Bota Kiri-Tanjung Belanja.
“When passing the accident site, the car they were in is believed to have skidded and overturned into the water canal, submerging half of the car.
“Police investigations found that the accident site was a straight, single-lane, narrow road without any asphalt or stones.
“The incident occurred under clear weather conditions, however, the accident site did not have CCTV cameras.
“In this accident, both victims were believed to have been trapped inside the car when it submerged in water before being rescued by the fire department. However, they were confirmed dead at the scene,” he said in a statement last night.
He added that post-mortem results indicated the cause of death for the driver as ‘drowning due to road vehicle accident’, while the passenger had ‘pulmonary edema consistent with drowning due to motor vehicle accident’.
He further mentioned that the case is still under police investigation and is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
He advised the public who have information regarding the accident to contact the Traffic Investigator Officer at the Perak Tengah Police District Headquarters at 014-6790829 or any nearby police station to assist in the investigation.
He also urged the public to be more focused, careful, and courteous when driving any vehicle, especially near rivers and hilly areas.
