TUMPAT: Police have denied claims that a man suffered seriously injuries when the motorcycle on which he was riding pillion was rammed by a patrol car.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Muhamad Zaki Harun said there was not even a chase happening when the incident occurred on Tuesday.
He said the motorcycle had crashed while the two men on it were trying to escape an anti-drug operation conducted by Narcotics Crime Investigation Department policemen near Kampung Telaga Bata about 9pm that day.
"Police would like to deny the 'facts' about the incident that have gone viral on social media since (Wednesday).
"The police patrol car did not chase the two men who were on a motorcycle. What actually happened was that the two saw the police carrying out the operation about 100m in front of them and decided to escape the scene.
"While escaping, the motorcyclist lost control of his machine, which skidded off the road and plunged into an irrigation canal, causing the pillion rider to suffer injuries.
"Police rushed to help the two and called for the ambulance to the scene," he said in a statement.
It is learnt that the pillion rider was rushed to Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Baru for treatment.
Police said the two were a 31-year-old motorcyclist and his 24-year-old pillion rider, both from Tumpat.
The pillion rider was said to have suffered serious injuries to his head.
The case is being investigated under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
A posting on the incident, accompanied by a picture of the pillion rider in hospital, has gone viral with claims that a police car had rammed the motorcycle, causing it to go off the road an into an irrigation canal.
It also claimed that the policemen involved in the incident had told the motorcyclist to say he had lost control of his machine while trying to avoid a stray dog.