KALABAKAN: A 65-year-old local man died after the four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle he was driving was involved in an accident at Batu 9, Jalan Kalabakan on Tuesday.
Tawau District Police Chief ACP Jasmin Hussin said the victim was transporting baulu fish from Tawau to Keningau at the time of the incident.
He said the driver was thrown out through the windscreen before landing in a drain on the left shoulder of the road.
A 40-year-old foreign passenger travelling with the driver was trapped in the front seat and was rescued by personnel from the Civil Defence Force.
Police at the Tawau District Police Headquarters received information about the incident at approximately 4.30pm.
Initial investigations found that the Toyota Hilux involved is believed to have skidded on its own at a bend.
“The driver is suspected to have lost control upon reaching the bend, causing the vehicle to veer onto the left shoulder of the road.
“The vehicle is also believed to have spun back towards Tawau before coming to a stop in a ditch, resulting in the driver being thrown out while the passenger was trapped,” he said.
Medical personnel from Klinik Kalabakan later confirmed the driver’s death at the scene, while the injured passenger, who sustained head injuries, was taken to Hospital Tawau for further treatment.
The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
