SRI AMAN, Jan 9: The police has tracked down and fined an SUV driver who allegedly obstructed an ambulance carrying a patient en route to Sri Aman Hospital II at 3pm on Friday (Jan 5).
Sri Aman district police chief Deputy Superintendent Mathew Manggie stated that the incident which happened along KM6 Jalan Sri Aman-Kuching of Pan Borneo Highway, was recorded in a video which then went viral on social media.
“Following this, Sri Aman Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department located and fined the SUV driver under the 1959 Road Traffic Act for not giving way to the ambulance.
“We hope all road users will obey the traffic law and be reminded that in the event of incoming ambulance or any vehicles belonging to the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) or police, they should always yield and give way to these vehicles,” he said in a statement dated Jan 6.
On the same day of the incident, a woman believed to be the wife of the patient in the ambulance, has disclosed through a Facebook post that her husband had passed away, sparking rumours that the ambulance’s delay resulted in the patient’s death.
However, there is no official report confirming this from the hospital or the family.
In a later development, the wife uploaded another Facebook post dated Jan 6, informing netizens that she had received an apology from the SUV driver’s child who had also pointed out that her father (driver) has been diagnosed with hearing impairment.
“As the wife of the deceased, I hope your father (driver) will no longer drive in that condition anymore or he should wear a hearing aid when driving.
“This situation poses a danger to others and I pray that such incident will not happen again,” she wrote. — DayakDaily
