KINABATANGAN: A man was killed and three others, including a boy, were injured when the car they were travelling in skidded and crashed into an oil palm tree along Jalan Kinabatangan-Lahad Datu, this afternoon.
In the incident, the deceased identified as Jamaluddin Saka, 51, was found, pinned to the front seat. The driver, Afiq Fahmi Hasbi Salamat, 20, escaped unhurt.
It was reported that three other passengers Mariamah Tolah, 50, Rizal Andi Samalidin, 43, and Mohd Shami Rizal, 11, sustained injuries.
District fire and rescue chief Nur Azlan Jamalludin, when contacted, said all victims were headed towards Sandakan from Tawau in the Perodua Alza before the accident occurred.
“According to the driver, he was trying to avoid a lorry that had jumped queue. It is learnt that the lorry was coming from the opposite direction.
“The car skidded and crashed into a tree near a restaurant,” he said.
Azlan said the department received a distress call at 1.15pm and sent seven firefighters to the scene.
During the rescue operation, fire fighters had also removed the car battery to avoid any possible risk of explosion when extricating the remains of the trapped victim.
Azlan added the body has been handed over to the police and the three injured passengers were rushed to the district hospital for further treatment.