Hit-and-run driver was scared of 'tattooed men'

The Lumut Umno Youth division in Perak has denied that one of its members who caused the death of a 73-year-old woman in a road accident had fled the scene.

Division leader Mohd Shahril Yahaya claimed the driver disembarked from his vehicle, a pick-up truck, and kept his distance from the victim because of fear.

"It was not what was claimed (that he ran away). He got down from the vehicle.

"But when he saw that she was not moving, he drove the vehicle some 100m away because a lot of people had gathered and the driver was scared.

"He worried for his safety because there were a lot of people with tattoos at the scene.

"The driver was in the area but he was forced to deny (his involvement in the accident) because did not want any untoward incident to happen," Mohd Shahril said when contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday.

'Logos still on truck'

According to a China Press report on Sunday, the victim was returning from a rubber estate on a motorcycle and she was struck from behind by the speeding pick-up truck.

The victim's granddaughter Joanne Lim said that her grandfather, who was trailing the victim on another motorcycle, witnessed the driver fleeing.

The driver of the vehicle and two occupants were also accused of being preoccupied with trying to remove flags bearing the 1Malaysia logo and BN stickers from the vehicle before fleeing, instead of helping the victim.

This was witnessed by the China Press reporter.

Mohd Shahril denied the allegations and said he had witnesses in another vehicle that was trailing the truck.

"The logos are still on the truck. They were not removed," he said.