KOTA KINABALU: An eye-witness told the inquest into the death of former Batu Sapi Member of Parliament Datuk Edmund Chong that the Mercedes Benz car that hit the victim’s motorcycle dragged the machine into a U-turn junction before Chong was thrown off to the opposite road.
Chong who was riding his Kawasaki 750cc motorcycle died in the collision on the Coastal Highway at 11.25am on October 9 last year.
The sixth deponent in the inquest, Indonesian trader Welmi Abdul Latif, 37, told the coroner, Melissa Chia, during a visit to the accident scene here yesterday that she heard a loud ‘bang’ and a long screeching brake sound before seeing Chong’s body thrown away to the opposite road.
Describing the accident which happened in a blink of an eye, Welmi said, from her car, which was roughly six to 10 metres behind the Mercedes and motorcycle, she did not really see how the Mercedes and the motorcycle collided but after hearing the loud ‘bang’ she saw the Mercedes trying to swerve to stop at the U-turn junction, while the motorcycle fell on the road.
“Initially, when the accident occurred, I didn’t really see it, but I only saw the Mercedes dragging the motorcycle until the Mercedes stopped at the U-turn junction and suddenly I saw the rider’s body being thrown to the opposite road,” she recalled.
“At that time my car was in the left lane while the Mercedes was in the right lane, I wound my car glass window down (the driver’s side) because the air conditioning in my car was not so cold, then from the side mirror I saw the motorcycle went past my car,” said Welmi who drove her MyVi car at about 60km per hour.
Welmi who seemed so confused and stressed further recalled that the motorcycle was too fast at that time and Chong which was riding on the side of the right lane wanted to overtake the Mercedes which was also on the same lane but she was unsure why the motorcyclist was doing it (overtaking).
Welmi, who was accompanied by his husband, took about one and a half hours to explain about the accident at the scene.
At the accident scene yesterday were Batu Sapi MP Datin Tsen Tau Lin @ Linda, deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharuddin, traffic prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Wilynton Enchana Watt, counsels Chin Teck Ming and Bartholomew Jingulam who were holding the watching brief for the deceased’s family and also the watching brief counsel for an insurance company, Datin Sa’adah Aziz.
In the afternoon, the Coroner’s Court adjourned yesterday’s hearing to today as new watching brief counsels needed time to study the relevant documents and the notes of the proceedings.
Chia granted an application by counsels Nelson Wences Anggang and Loreto S. Padua, who acted for the Mercedes Benz driver, Oi Thim Hoo.
In the open court proceedings, Raja Zaizul and Datin Sa’adah raised no objection to the application.
Raja Zaizul, who conducted the inquiry and assisted by Wilynton, said that they are also one of the interested parties in this hearing.
However, Chin, who contended that a subpoena was issued to the driver of the Mercedes Benz as he is one of the deponents, alleged that the driver had never shown himself since the inquest trial commenced which entered its third day yesterday.
Chin submitted that if the driver was really interested in the case, he should come earlier and not cause delay to the hearing.
In reply, Nelson who confirmed that his client was present in court yesterday, submitted that the driver would not appear without basis here unless he is called to testify.