IPOH: The High Court here was told today that Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie, 17, was run over between his stomach and chest in an accident on Jalan Taman Jati 1, near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Jati on Dec 15 last year.
The statement was made by a child witness who was near the location of a collision between a Perodua Ativa car and a Yamaha LC motorcycle with several of his friends.
The 10th witness said they saw the victim thrown backwards and falling onto the road after being struck by the Ativa car, noting that the front and rear right tyres of the Ativa car ran over the area between Muhammad Zaharif Affendi’s stomach and chest.
The witness added that the victim’s head was positioned under the car when he was run over.
“After witnessing the incident, I immediately went towards Zaharif along with other friends to help him. When I was near Zaharif, not long after, a man who had gotten out of the Ativa car came over to us,“ the witness said.
“... And (the man) said in an angry tone, ‘Hey, hey, lift him, we must take him to the (police) station.’ I said to the Malay man, ‘Don’t lift him. He just had an accident, we can’t move him, we’re worried his bones might shift,” said the witness.
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The witness, the first child to testify, said that Muhammad Zaharif Affendi was loudly revving his motorcycle several times when the Perodua Ativa car stopped next to him before the collision occurred.
According to the witness, they saw the Ativa car following Muhammad Zaharif Affendi towards the mosque in the area and heard a loud exhaust sound from the victim’s motorcycle.
“...Zaharif and the Ativa car passed over a speed bump near the mosque, and both accelerated. Zaharif slowed down his motorcycle as they approached the intersection, and I saw the rear brake light turned on.
“Then I saw the Ativa car hit Zaharif from behind. The Ativa car did not stop before the crash,“ said the witness, reading from the written statement before High Court Judge Datuk Bhupindar Singh Gucharan Singh Preet.
The witness also said they saw Muhammad Zaharif Affendi, semi-conscious and weak, being carried to the side of the road by several unidentified individuals who were at the scene.
“At that moment, I saw the Ativa car inch closer to Zaharif, and the man opened the car’s door, wanting to take Zaharif to the police station.
“However, those at the scene stopped the man from doing so because they were concerned that he said he wanted to take Zaharif to the police station, not to the hospital,“ the witness added.
According to the witness, the man then closed the car door and returned to check on Muhammad Zaharif Affendi’s condition until the victim’s sister and father arrived, after which he left.
The court also called Ipoh City Council’s Engineering Department director, Ridza’uddin Mohd Radzi, as a witness to confirm details regarding the road and traffic signs around the incident scene.
Ridza’uddin said the area has two speed bumps, four warning signs for the bumps, and that the speed limit in the area is between 30 to 40 kilometres per hour.
Deputy Public Prosecutors Afzainizam Abdul Aziz, Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani, V. Suloshani, and Low Qin Hui lead the prosecution. Appearing for the accused are lawyers M. Athimulan, Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid, and Aiman Hakim Kamaruzzaman.
During cross-examination, Athimulan requested the court’s permission for the defence to visit the incident scene before starting the cross-examination proceedings.
The judge then adjourned the proceedings, and the trial will resume tomorrow.
Mohd Nazri, 45, is accused of murdering Muhammad Zaharif Affendi on Jalan Taman Jati 1, near Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jati, between 11.45 am and 12.40 pm on Dec 15, 2023.
The senior police officer is charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment for 30 to 40 years and a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
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