MELAKA: A pensioner died some 11 hours after being struck by a car driven by an intoxicated driver in Kampung Padang, Jalan Pokok Mangga, here, early yesterday morning.
The 57-year-old victim died at 2.04 pm Tuesday, after fighting for his life for some 11 hours in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Melaka Hospital.
He died due to internal bleeding in the head in addition to injuries to his body and legs in the incident at about 2.40 am.
The victim's son claimed that the incident stemmed from his father telling off a duo for having a loud rowdy outing in the wee hours of the morning as they drank liquor in a car parked behind a restaurant in Plaza Pandan Malim, here.
He said the duo opened and closed the car door so loudly that it could be heard from their house nearby.
"Around 2.40 am, my father and I woke up from sleep after hearing loud music coming from the direction of the parking area.
"Father then went to reprimand them. The two men then left the area," he said when met by reporters, here, today.
He claimed that some 10 minutes later the two men came back in the same car continuing to play the music loud before leaving the area, again.
"Just as we were about to lie down (to sleep), they came again making noises, again making me and father go out to ask the two men to leave the area.
"However, the car suddenly tried to hit me, but luckily I managed to avoid it and ran behind a 24-hour restaurant in the plaza building.
"I then saw the car turn around and head towards my father who didn't have time to avoid it. He was holding on to the front bonnet and was dragged about 20 meters towards the back of the shop," he said.
The son screamed for help and chased his father who fell. The father was covered in blood on the back of the head, believed to be caused by hitting the edge of the drain. The two men accelerated away from the scene.
The son then immediately called an ambulance which took his father to the Melaka Hospital for treatment.
"I regret that this incident was only caused by my father telling them not to make noise. I leave it to the police to investigate and bring them to justice," he said adding that the incident was recorded on a closed-circuit camera at a building there.
The deceased remains will be buried at the Kampung Padang Islamic Cemetery.
Melaka Tengah District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Christopher Patit said following the incident they have arrested a 28-year-old suspect and remanded him for seven days from yesterday to assist in the investigation of the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
"We are still tracking another 27-year-old local man to assist in the investigation.
"Do not make any speculations that could interfere with the investigation other than to respect the sensitivity of the community, especially the families involved," he said.
