BUKIT MERTAJAM, Sept 24 — Eighty-five photos related to a fatal accident involving a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a Toyota Vios car were taken by a traffic police photographer to capture the details and impact of the crash on the Penang Bridge on January 20.
Corporal Abdul Rashid Mahmud, 59, from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) of Seberang Perai Tengah district police said the photos were taken in two batches, namely on the accident that occurred on January 20 and when the SUV, which plunged into the sea following the crash, was being retrieved from the seabed onto the bridge on January 22.
Abdul Rashid said this when testifying at the Magistrate’s Court on the first day of the trial of former salon worker K. Vaitheswaran, 21, who is charged with causing the death of college student Moey Yun Peng, 20, after the SUV the latter was driving on the Penang Bridge plunged into the sea last January.
At today’s proceedings, Abdul Rashid, who was the first prosecution witness, presented all the photos and gave the details to the court.
In his statement, Abdul Rashid said the images included 23 photos of the accident, 26 photos on the SUV being retrieved and 34 pieces of post-mortem photos.
“The photos were of the friction marks on the road divider caused by the two cars, the tyre marks on the road, the impact of the accident, the car being retrieved onto the bridge and the autopsy photos,” he said.
Earlier, Abdul Rashid said he received instructions from investigating officer Inspector Ahmad Farid Mohd Zahard to go to the accident location at KM3.40 Penang Bridge to take photos of the crash at 2.50am on January 20.
On February 11, Vaitheswaran was charged under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine of RM20,000 and forfeiture of a driver’s licence for up to three years upon conviction.
Vaitheswaran, who was represented by S. Parameswaran, was accused of committing the offence at KM4.0 Penang Bridge heading towards Perai at about 3am on January 20.
In the incident, Vaitheswaran was said to be driving the Toyota Vios which collided with the Mazda CX-5 SUV driven by Moey on the bridge which led to the SUV going out of control and plunging into the sea.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nur Afiqah Zakaria.
The trial before the Sessions Court judge Ahzah Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin, who was acting as Magistrate, continues on November 20 to 21 and December 3. — Bernama
