Raya outing ends in tragedy for fifth former

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CONVOY CASUALTY: A Siburan traffic police officer measures the distance between the accident wreckage and the victim’s body.

KUCHING: A Hari Raya motorcycle convoy ended in tragedy when a Form Five student was killed following a collision with a four-wheel drive vehicle at Tapah bazaar on Thursday.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Zahairuddin Abdullah, 17, of Taman Anggerik Indah in Serian.

The incident occurred around 7.45pm when a convoy of motorcycles, carrying the victim and his friends, was making its way back to Serian following a round of Hari Raya visiting in Siburan.

As the convoy approached Tapah bazaar, at Mile 22 Kuching-Serian Road, a Mitsubishi Pajero driven by a man turned from the opposite side of the road into the bazaar junction and crashed into Zahairuddin, who was the lead motorcyclist.

The impact of the collision flung the victim several metres towards a small drain at the side of the road.

None of the other convoy members were injured in the accident.

The student’s father and relatives rushed to the scene after being notified of the incident but arrived to learn that Zahairuddin, the eldest of three brothers, had already died from his injuries.

A relative, who declined to be named, said he had been told by the victim’s friends that Zahairuddin was initially riding at the back of the convoy but had made the decision to overtake his friends to the front of the line just moments before the collision.

“Had he not done so, he would probably still be alive now,” said the relative, adding the incident was fated to happen.

Siburan traffic police personnel were on hand to investigate the fatal accident before transporting the victim’s body to the Sarawak General Hospital for a post mortem.