Penang Bridge crash: Hairdresser charged with reckless driving and causing death
Monday, 11 Feb 201910:14 AM MYT
by lo tern chern
BUKIT MERTAJAM: The car driver who was involved in an accident with a sports utility vehicle (SUV) driven by a student that plunged into the sea at Penang Bridge last month has been charged at the magistrate's court here Monday (Feb 11).
M. Vaitheswaran, 21, is accused with driving recklessly and causing the death of Moey Yun Peng, 20, at KM4.0 on the bridge towards Prai direction at about 3am on Jan 20.
The charge under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 carries a maximum of 10 years' jail and a maximum fine of RM20,000 or both upon conviction.
Vaitheswaran pleaded not guilty to the charge.
During mitigation, DPP Yusaini Amir Abd Karim proposed for RM10,000 bail but Vaitheswaran's lawyer S. Parameswaran asked for RM5,000 bail instead as his client was no longer working as a hairdresser and his father is an electrician with a monthly income of RM2,500 to support the family.
Magistrate Jamaliah Abd Manap then set RM7,000 bail with one surety and ordered for Vaitheswaran's driving licence to be suspended until the case is over.
She also ordered for Vaitheswaran to report to the nearest police station monthly and fixed March 18 for mention of the case.
In the incident, the SUV driven by Moey, a private college student, plunged into the sea after a vehicle collided with it at Penang Bridge.
Moey's body was found strapped to the driver's seat after the vehicle was retrieved from the sea three days later.
Related stories:
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/02/11/penang-bridge-crash-hairdresser-charged-with-reckless-driving-and-causing-death/#D1O9ZTsmshHiT1gt.99
Driver involved in Penang Bridge crash denies causing friend's death
Published 53 minutes ago on 11 February 2019
K. Vaitheswaran (centre) is escorted by police officers into the court compound at Bukit Mertajam Magistrate Court February 11, 2019. — Picture By Sayuti ZainudinBUKIT MERTAJAM, Feb 11 — A former hairdressing saloon employee pleaded not guilty at the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate’s Court here today on a charge of reckless driving which caused the death of Moey Yun Peng whose car plunged into the sea at Penang Bridge on January 20.
K. Vaitheswaran, 21, made the plea after the charge was read in Tamil before Magistrate Jamaliah Abd Manap.
The man who was driving the Toyota Vios in the accident was accused of causing the death of his friend, a private college student at Kilometre 4.0 of Penang Bridge heading towards Perai here at about 3am on January 20.
The accused who was seen keeping his head down during the proceedings, faces a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine of up to RM20,000 for alleged offence under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Earlier the deputy public prosecutor who is also the state prosecution director Yusaini Amer Abdul Karim sought the court to impose bail of RM10,000 in one surety based on the seriousness of the accused’s offence.
However counsel S. Parameswaran who is representing the accused pleaded for a lower bail as his client is no longer working.
“Apart from that, the accused is also living with his parents and his father is an electrician with a monthly income of RM2,500 while his mother is a housewife,” he said.
The lawyer later asked bail to be reduced to RM5,000 as there was no reason for the accused to abscond and his client has been cooperating with police in the investigation.
The court later set bail at RM7,000 in one surety and fixed March 18 for case mention.
The court ordered the driving licence of the accused to be suspended until the case is over and also ordered the accused to report himself at the nearest police station once a month.
In the incident at 2.54 am on a Sunday, a Mazda CX-5 sports utility vehicle (SUV) driven by Yun Peng plunged into the sea after the car collided with a Toyota Vios at Kilometre 4 of the Penang Bridge heading to Perai.
Efforts to retrieve the vehicle and Yun Peng’s body from the seabed took more than 24 hours before it was hoisted on Tuesday, January 22. — Bernama
