Pedestrian killed, passenger drowns after car plunges into river

Passers-by help to rescue the driver from river but his wife is swept away by strong current.

KUANTAN: A pedestrian, believed to be a Rohingya, was killed when hit by a car in an accident at Km55 Jalan Pekan-Nenasi-Rompin today.

Pekan district police chief Zaidi Mat Zin said a passenger in the car, identified as Nor Katijah Mamat, 33, was also believed to have drowned after the car plunged into the river after the accident at 9.30am.

He said Nor Katijah’s husband, Aizuddin Karim, 27, who was driving the car, injured his right arm and was sent to Pekan Hospital for treatment.

The couple was on their way to Rompin from Pekan when Aizuddin lost control of the car.

This caused the vehicle to veer to the left side of the road and hit the pedestrian before plunging into the river, Zaidi said in a statement today.

He said the identity of the pedestrian, who died at the scene, had yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Pahang fire and rescue department said a team from the Nenasi station was sent to the scene following a distress call at 9.47am.

According to him, passers-by helped to rescue the driver after the car plunged into the river.

However, the woman was swept away by the strong current.

Her body was found later by residents who helped in the search.

It was then handed over to the police for further action.