JOHOR BARU: A mechanic was charged in the magistrate's court here today with two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the deaths of a husband and wife on Nov 16.
The accused, S. Nageshvaran, 34, however, pleaded not guilty after both charges were read out to him in front of magistrate Nor Farhana Mohd Ishak.
For the first charge, the accused was accused of driving a Perodua Alza with a blood alcohol concentration of 170 milligrams (mg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of blood, exceeding the legal limit, causing the death of a motorcycle pillion rider, Linda Mohd A. Aziz.
The accused was also charged with driving the same vehicle with the same alcohol level in his blood, leading to the death of the motorcycle rider, Mohamad Redzwan Mohd Rusdi.
The two offences occurred at the Jalan Besar-Jalan Mesjid traffic light junction in Pasir Gudang town at about 4.15am on Nov 16.
Both charges were made under Section 44(1)(b) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years jail and a fine of up to RM100,000.
The case is being prosecuted by Inspector S. Vikineswary, while the accused is represented by lawyer K. Sarawanakumar.
The prosecution requested the court to impose a bail of RM15,000 with one surety and for the accused to report to the nearest police station twice a month, in addition to suspending his driving licence and surrendering his passport to the court.
However, his lawyer requested a lower bail amount, as the accused is the sole breadwinner for his elderly and sick parents and four younger siblings, earning only RM2,000 a month as a mechanic.
The court set the bail at RM12,000 with one surety, along with the conditions to report to the police station twice a month, suspend his driving licence, and surrender his passport to the court.
The court set Jan 14 for the next mention of the case and for document submission.
On Nov 16, Mohamad Redzwan, 37, and his wife, Linda, 35, were reported killed after their motorcycle was hit by a car driven by a man under the influence of alcohol at the traffic light junction of Jalan Besar-Jalan Mesjid, Pasir Gudang.
Seri Alam district police chief Superintendent Mohd Sohaimi Ishak said the accident occurred when the car, which was travelling from Jalan Besar towards the Pasir Gudang Highway, collided with a motorcycle.
The couple died at the scene from severe injuries.
The incident left the couple's five children—Nur Aleesha Aindah Abdullah (who has a disability), 17, Muhammad Ikmal Danish Abdullah, 15, Nur Shahkira, 14, Nur Shahmira,12, and Nur Aisyah Humairah, 3, orphaned.
They are now being cared for by their grandfather, Mohd Rudi Abdul Rahman, 61, and grandmother, Ramlah Kasiran, 56.