KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 — The 24-year-old driver of a BYD Seal involved in a fatal six-vehicle pile-up along Jalan Kuching last weekend was brought to the court complex here today to face three traffic offences, including causing the death of a five-year-old girl.
Handcuffed and dressed in a green shirt, the suspect was escorted by traffic police personnel to the Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court this morning, NST reported.
He was arrested yesterday upon his discharge from a private hospital, where he had been treated for a concussion sustained during the crash, before being held overnight at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters lock-up.
The man will be charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving, which carries a mandatory jail term and heavy fines upon conviction.
He is also set to face charges under Section 42(1) for reckless and dangerous driving, alongside Section 52(1) for failing to stop and report a road crash.
The fatal crash occurred at 3.44pm on Saturday along Jalan Kuching, involving five cars and a motorcycle.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that traffic was moving sluggishly from the city centre towards Segambut when the electric sedan allegedly rammed into the rear of a Perodua Bezza driven by the victim's 30-year-old father.
The impact sent the Bezza spinning out of control across the road. The sedan struck a motorcycle before careening into the far right lane, where it ploughed into three oncoming vehicles: a Nissan Almera, a Toyota Alphard, and a Perodua Myvi.
The five-year-old girl, who was seated in the rear of the Bezza, suffered catastrophic head trauma. Medical personnel pronounced her dead after she was rushed to Hospital Kuala Lumpur.
Her father escaped with injuries to his right hand, while the 33-year-old rider of the Yamaha 135LC sustained serious head injuries.
Police subsequently tracked down and identified the driver of the electric vehicle at the private medical facility where he had sought treatment.