KULIM: A 31-year-old policeman is fighting for his life after his motorcycle was knocked down by a pickup truck driven by a suspected fuel smuggler this morning.
Kulim police chief Superintendent Redzuan Salleh said in the 9.15am incident, the corporal attached to the Kulim Hi-Tech police station was patrolling on his motorcycle when he spotted the suspect behaving suspiciously while driving a Nissan Frontier.
"The victim tried to get the driver to pull over, but the latter sped off, forcing the corporal to give a chase.
"In his haste to evade an arrest, the suspect's vehicle knocked into the victim's motorcycle. He then sped off on the Kulim-Serdang trunk road.
"The victim sustained serious head injuries and is unconscious. He is being treated at Penang Hospital."
Redzuan said the suspect was subsequently detained in Butterworth.
"The suspect in his 40s hails from Sungai Petani and checks revealed he has three previous criminal records.
"He was also driving under the influence of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) drug."
Redzuan said checks on the suspect's pickup truck found that the vehicle was modified with a fuel tank in the cargo compartment.
"We believe the suspect was involved in fuel smuggling."