KUANTAN: A man believed to be drunk rammed into a motorcyclist and dragged the bike all the way back to his house in a horrific incident along Jalan Sungai Lembing, early today.
The motorcyclist, Muhammad Akmal Hakim, 22, died after he was flung onto the road shoulder in the collision. His motorcycle remained wedged in the front bumper of the suspect's car during the 1.10am mishap.
The bizarre incident unfolded when the 26-year-old driver of the Toyota Avanza is believed to have lost control of his vehicle and rammed into the rear of Akmal's Honda EX5 motorcycle, which was traveling in the same direction.
Akmal was thrown off his bike and died at the scene after sustaining severe head injuries.
The Avanza driver appeared oblivious to the collision and continued driving for about 1.5km before finally coming to a stop in front of his house at Kampung Padang.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Noor Yusof Ali said passers-by spotted the wreckage entangled with the car and told the driver when he reached his house. They also alerted the police.
"Investigations suggest that the suspect was unaware he had knocked into the motorcyclist.
"The suspect continued to drive, dragging the machine with the car. There were traces of the motorcycle being dragged along the stretch," he told reporters at the district traffic police headquarters.
Noor said checks revealed that the suspect's blood alcohol level was beyond the permitted limit.
He said Akmal, a factory worker in Gebeng, was traveling to his sister's house in Kampung Padang while the suspect was returning home in the same housing settlement.
Checks also showed that the driver of the Avanza has five outstanding summonses.
"The hospital will wait for the Covid-19 procedures to be completed before conducting a post-mortem examination," he said, urging witnesses to come forward and assist the investigation.
Noor said the suspect has been remanded until Thursday.
The case is being investigated under Section 44(1) of the Road Transport Act, 1987, for driving under the influence.