‘FRT VEHICLE DAMAGED MY TAXI’
Impact of collision caused my taxi to spin 180 degrees, says driver
ATAXI driver told the coroner’s court that a Fire and Rescue Tender (FRT) vehicle unexpectedly reversed and damaged his vehicle near the site of a rioting crowd at the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in November.
K. Arumugam, 66, said there was a Fire and Rescue Department’s Emergency Medical Response Service (EMRS) van in front of his Proton Exora taxi, while the FRT vehicle was in front of the van when he passed a route outside the temple at midnight on Nov 27.
The EMRS van was manned by two firemen, including the late Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim.
The witness said he used the route as it was toll-free and he could get to his house quicker.
“I saw the FRT vehicle crashing into the EMRS van and pushing it back. The FRT vehicle then crashed into my taxi,” he said in reply to a question from deputy public prosecutor Zhafran Rahim Hamzah.
Arumugam was asked to explain how the crash happened by using toy cars that were available in the courtroom.
He said when the FRT vehicle crashed into the EMRS van behind it, the van moved out of the path of the reversing FRT vehicle. The bigger vehicle then crashed into his taxi.
The impact caused his taxi to spin 180 degrees.
Arumugam told the court he was afraid and panicked when the incident occurred.
He said he did not notice what was going on around him and that he was in a daze.
He said he waited in his taxi for 20 to 25 minutes before those at the scene helped pull him out of his car.
Arumugam said 30 minutes after he got out of his taxi, a tow truck driver approached him and told him what to do about his damaged taxi.
He told the coroner’s court that the driver helped take him and his vehicle to the USJ 8 police station to lodge a report.
He said the EMRS van was 4m from his taxi, but he did not see anyone coming out or going into the van after the crash.
To a question from Syazlin Mansoor, who is the lawyer for the Housing and Local Government Ministry and Fire and Rescue Department, Arumugam said what the FRT vehicle did took him by surprise.
“I thought the FRT vehicle was looking for a path. Suddenly, it crashed into my taxi.
“I saw the van being hit and pushed (back) by the FRT vehicle. I did not expect it to crash into me.”
Coroner Rofiah Mohamad and Syazlin asked him what he saw when he sat in his taxi after the crash.
Rofiah: In that 20 to 25 minutes, what did you do?
Arumugam: I felt dizzy and I sat in my vehicle.
Rofiah: You sat there, but your gaze was towards which direction?
Arumugam: I was not aware of that. I could not focus (on anything) until people came to help me.
Rofiah: Were you unconscious? Arumugam: I felt dizzy.
Syazlin: If I may ask. You said you were in your taxi for 20 to 25 minutes and waited another 30 minutes (before a tow truck driver came). That is almost an hour. Did you see any injured fireman? Arumugam: (Pauses) I did not observe that.
Rofiah: Were you injured? Arumugam: I was not physically injured. I was shocked and did not feel good.
Adib, 24, died from severe injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by rioters at the temple.
He was part of an emergency response team dispatched to the scene following reports of a vehicle fire.
Despite showing signs of recovery while receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute, Adib died on Dec 17.