TAWAU: A 16-year-old Form four student of SMK Jambatan Putih here died after he fell off the cargo deck of a lorry used for transporting a lion dance troupe on the first day of Chinese New Year.
District police chief ACP Awang Besar Dullah said the victim, identified as Lee Jin Lin, was said to be seated on the rear left side of the cargo deck when the lorry was on the way to Taman Da Hua from Taman Semarak for a lion dance performance about 4pm.
He said as the lorry was passing through an uneven road at Muhibbah Raya Road, the victim reportedly fell onto the road shoulder and sustained serious head injury. He was immediately rushed to the hospital for treatment.
Awang added the victim succumbed to serious head injury about 3pm the next day.
He said the police were investigating the case under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 and initial investigation showed that there could be some element of carelessness on the victim’s part based on the account of his friend who witnessed the incident. The police were also investigating the 29-year-old lorry driver.
Meanwhile, Awang revealed that 257 summonses were issued, three illegal immigrant were detained and 16 motorcycles were seized during roadblocks set up by the police on Saturday at the traffic circle near the Al-Khautar Mosque.
Four roadblocks were mounted at the traffic circle from 8pm to 1am involving three officers and 40 personnel from the police and police volunteers.
He added that during the roadblocks, Ops Lejang, Ops Cantas and Ops Kesan were carried out and 1,645 vehicles were checked.
Awang said 16 motorcycles abandoned by the roadside near the roadblocks were seized and the owners would need to bring relevant documents to claim them.
He said during the operations, 1,950 men and 850 women were also checked and three were detained for not having any valid identification document.