Two dead, six injured in two accidents

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Fire personnel helping a victim who was pinned under the vehicle at Kilometer 22 Keningau-Sook road yesterday.

KENINGAU: A student and a girl were killed while six others were injured in two separate road accidents along Keningau-Sapulut road in Nabawan district and Keningau-Sook road on Thursday and yesterday.

District Police Chief, Deputy Superintendent Douglas Nyeging Taong said here yesterday that the two victims who died were a pillion rider – a male student and a little girl, who was a passenger in a four-wheel-drive Vigo.

He said in the first accident which happened at the junction of Kampung Sarikan, Kilometer 70 Keningau-Sapulut road in Nabawan district on Thursday at 6.45 pm, a 17-year-old male student of SMK Nabawan 2 was killed in the incident.

Two of the victim’s friends, a 16-year-old male student, who was riding the motorcyce and a female student, aged 14, who was riding pillion were seriously injured in the head. Both victims were also students of SMK Nabawan 2.

According to him, the accident involved a motorcycle rode by the students and a car driven by a 52-year-old local man.

“On Thursday at about 6.45 pm, the car driven by the man from Keningau/Nabawan was heading for Sapulut with his wife and nine-year-old daughter.

“Meanwhile the motorcycle, which was ridden by three students was moving from the opposite direction, from Sapulut headed to Nabawan,” he said.

Douglas said upon arriving at the scene, the driver of the car swerved into the junction of kampong Sarikan on the right side of the road to visit his mother-in-law.

He said when entering the junction, the driver had applied the brakes as the road at the junction had a pothole. At the same time, the motorcycle had approached from the front of the vehicle, hitting the car on the left rear side.

The driver of the car and his family did not suffer any injuries, but the three students on the motorcycle, who did not wear helmets, were thrown onto the road.

“The victim was taken to the Nabawan Clinic and pronounced dead there, while his two friends, the motorcyclist and another pillion rider were brought to Keningau Hospital for further treatment.

“An external autopsy carried out by the doctor and initial observation showed that the cause of death was due to severe head injuries,” he said, adding that the case is being investigated under of Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

The other accident which occurred yesterday at kilometer 22 Keningau-Sook road involved a Toyota Vigo vehicle driven by a 54-year-old man from Semporna heading to Keningau.

Douglas said there were five passengers (one family) including two women and a child in the vehicle during the incident which occurred at around 5am yesterday.

“Upon arriving at the scene which was a downhill bend, the driver lost control of the vehicle and skidded to the left edge of the road, hitting a tree and landed sideways on the road,” he said.

As a result of the incident, the girl aged five died at the scene due to being pinned (tersepit), while a 22-year-old male passenger suffered serious head injuries and four others, including the driver suffered only minor injuries and were treated at Keningau Hospital.

Douglas said District Fire and Rescue Department personnel had to retrieve the victims who were pinned under the vehicle.

He said that investigation would be carried out under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.