JITRA: A trader who witnessed a crash involving a sports utility vehicle and a Perodua Myvi near Kepala Batas Health Clinic earlier today initially thought the three men fleeing the scene were escaping a potential explosion.
As it turns out, the trio were the ones who had earlier rammed a policeman, killing him.
“At first, I thought they were running away because they feared the car might explode. But it turned out they were criminals,” said 33-year-old Mohd Shaiful Hafiq Mohd Hadir.
The crash shocked nearby people, who heard a loud bang.
Moments later, three men were seen scrambling out of the SUV and attempting to flee.
Shaiful said he then heard cries for help coming from inside the vehicle and found an elderly woman, believed to be in her 70s, in the front passenger seat.
“She cried out, ‘Help me, they robbed me!’ That was when we realised they were robbers.
“I and several others immediately gave chase and managed to catch one of the suspects,” he said.
Another trader, Tarmizi Che Ismail, 29, said he helped apprehend the suspect, believed to be in his 20s, about 100m from the crash site.
“He told us he was dizzy and looked like he was about to pass out. He even asked for a drink of water,” he said, adding that the suspect was later handed over to police.
Tarmizi said the elderly woman was helped out of the SUV and temporarily placed in his eatery.
“She was visibly shaken and trembling. She complained of back pain and told us she couldn’t walk because she uses a wheelchair.
“She also shared that the suspects had pushed her husband out of the vehicle before fleeing in the SUV from the Tabung Haji office area near a hotel in Titi Gajah, Alor Star. The vehicle eventually crashed here,” he added.
The suspects are believed to be part of a group of four men involved in a burglary incident in Taman Golf earlier today.
Police had caught them red-handed attempting to steal a metal safe from a house.
During the operation, one of the suspects drove a Lexus SUV into Corporal Mohd Hafizul Izham Mazlan, killing the 35-year-old policeman on the spot.
He was part of a five-man team from the Kedah Criminal Investigation Department responding to a public tip-off.
All four suspects have since been arrested.
The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 457 for housebreaking.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
