.jpg "Witness Budd Mohsin attends the inquest into fireman Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassimu00e2u20acu2122s death at the Shah Alam High Court March 20, 2019. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa")
SHAH ALAM, March 20 — On his second day on the stand today, Budd Mohsin told the Coroner’s Court that he “assumed” Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim had been run over by a reversing Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS) van last November.
Budd, a Pakistan national, told the inquest into the fireman’s death that he did not clearly see if or when the vehicle’s wheels crushed Adib.
“I assumed the van’s tyres then went over Adib. I couldn’t see it after the victim fell down, but after that, the fire truck kept on reversing but the van stopped,” the 24-year-old testified under cross-examination by lawyer Kamaruzaman A. Wahab.
Budd, the 20th witness in the inquest, had yesterday claimed to have seen the fireman sandwiched between the reversing emergency van and parked cars outside the Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple in Subang Jaya, Selangor when a riot broke out.
Adib was said to have died on December 17 as a result of injuries sustained during an assault by the rioters.
A short video clip of the reversing EMRS vehicle was also played in the Coroner’s Court today and Budd was later questioned by another lawyer Syazlin Mansor who represented the Local Government and Housing Ministry and the Fire and Rescue Department.
The witness had yesterday testified that he saw three firemen exiting two vehicles, one of which was the EMRS van and the other, the fire engine.
This time, he concurred when Syazlin asked if he saw a person seated in the front passenger side of the EMRS van exit the vehicle.
“Yes, based in the video, I agree there is someone seated there,” he said.
When pressed further, Budd then said he did not remember where the third fireman came from, just that he remembers seeing him outside the EMRS van.
“I saw the first and second firemen get off the fire truck, and then a third fireman who was standing near the van. The fire truck then started reversing and backed into the van, where it hit the fireman twice,” he said in response to Syazlin’s questions.
Mohsin reiterated his previous testimony that the first impact from the EMRS van was a nudge that caused Adib to turn around.
He said the impact from the second collision caused Adib to fall down.
