Firemen stabilising the burnt pickup truck prior to extricating the victim’s remains.
BINTULU: A pickup truck driver met a fiery end after his vehicle burst into flames following a crash along the Bintulu-Miri coastal road yesterday.
Police have identified the deceased as Ling Kiew Hing, 53, from Jalan Sukun in Sibu.
Sarawak Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Supt Alexson Naga Chabu said a 42-year-old man travelling with Ling survived the crash and managed to exit the vehicle before it caught fire.
“The incident happened around noon when the vehicle struck the road divider and overturned at KM22 of the coastal road.
“The driver was trapped in his seat and was burned to death while his passenger survived and did not sustain any injuries,” he said in a statement.
Alexson added it was raining at the time of the accident, and that police have classified the investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) Bintulu chief Mohamad Meramit said 12 personnel from the Bintulu and Samalaju fire stations were deployed to the scene following a distress call at 12.06pm.
He said firemen recovered the driver’s remains from the burnt vehicle and handed it over to police for further action.