KOTA MARUDU: A 38-year-old teacher and former national football referee died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Monday morning, nearly 20 hours after a two-vehicle collision along Jalan Mangaris 2 here on Sunday.
Kota Marudu District Police Chief Supt Simiun Lomudin said the victim, Hilton Soibik of SMK Salaping 2, succumbed to severe head, abdominal, and limb injuries at 9.24am.
Initial police investigations revealed that the victim was driving a Toyota Hilux from Kota Marudu towards Kota Kinabalu when he allegedly lost control of the vehicle while negotiating an uphill bend around 2pm, veering into the oncoming lane and colliding with a Scania tanker lorry.
The tanker driver escaped unhurt, while the victim had to be extricated from the wreckage by firefighters before being rushed to Kota Marudu Hospital and subsequently transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Simiun said the case has been reclassified for investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
