SANDAKAN: A 50-year-old fruit vendor was killed after a timber-laden trailer crashed into roadside stalls along Jalan Labuk at Mile 27 here on Wednesday morning.
The woman was pronounced dead while receiving treatment at the Ulu Dusun Health Clinic following the 8.30am incident, which also left a 31-year-old female lorry passenger severely injured after being trapped in a 10-tonne cargo vehicle.
Sandakan District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner George Abd Rakman said three other individuals, including a three-year-old girl, escaped the multi-vehicle crash involving two lorries and a car.
He added that the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, while clearing works were carried out to remove scattered logs obstructing the road.
Meanwhile, Libaran Member of Parliament Datuk Suhaimi Nasir has urged the police, Road Transport Department (JPJ), and transport authorities to conduct a thorough and transparent probe into the tragedy.
Suhaimi said the fatal crash raised urgent concerns over road safety, cargo securement, and the consistency of enforcement regarding the operating hours, roadworthiness, and qualifications of heavy logging vehicle drivers.
He also called on police to swiftly verify witness allegations that the logging lorry driver fled the scene, stressing that regulatory enforcement along high-risk public routes must be prioritised to prevent further loss of innocent lives.
