Teen pillion rider killed, brother injured in tanker-motorcycle collision …

KOTA KINABALU: A 14-year-old pillion rider was killed while his elder brother escaped with minor injuries after their motorcycle was involved in a collision with a lorry tanker transporting crude palm oil in Sabah's east coast Beluran district. The duo were headed from the neighbouring Pitas district to Paitan when the mishap occurred at Jalan Paitan at 5.20pm on Thursday (April 27). Beluran OCPD Supt Kasim Muda said the lorry tanker was also headed the same way.

"It is believed that the motorcycle which was travelling slightly ahead of the lorry tanker suddenly turned to the right, catching the driver by surprise. "Following the collision, the boy was pronounced dead at the scene while the 18-year-old brother only suffered light injuries," he said on Friday (April 28). In a separate accident, a car passenger was killed while six others were hurt following a crash involving a four-wheel drive vehicle and a car in Penampang near here early Friday.

Penampang OCPD Deputy Supt Mohd Haris Ibrahim said the accident took place at Jalan Papar-Kota Kinabalu at 2.35am. From their preliminary probe, he said, the 4WD driven by a 32-year-old man, who was travelling from Papar to Kota Kinabalu, had crashed into the back of the car, also headed the same way. "The car then crashed to the left side of the road and left the 19-year-old driver and his five passengers, aged between 20 and 21, hurt," he said when contacted.

"They were rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital I for treatment but one of the passengers succumbed to injuries at 5.58am," he added.

DSP Mohd Haris said the 4WD driver was also being treated for serious injuries at the same hospital.

He added further investigations were being carried out under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing a fatality through reckless driving.