Cynics unconvinced two-year-old toddler has strength to open Merc door that led to 6-vehicle pile-up

 

WHAT can a two-year-old child do that’s believable?

Leave creative crayon patterns on a pristine white wall? Definitely.

Have impressive food stains on immaculate clothing? Most certainly.

Causing a six-vehicle pile-up during peak hour traffic? Hmmmm.…

This seems scarcely believable but that’s the official line being trotted out by the cops for an accident that was spectacularly caught on one of the vehicles’ dash cams.

In the account of Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief ACP Mohd Zamzuri Mohd Isa, the incident occurred at about 6.15pm on Feb 6 on the stretch from the Kampung Pandan roundabout towards KLCC, involving four cars and two motorcycles.

Th cause?

A two-year-old child inadvertently opening a car door (left passenger side) that wasn’t properly secured with child lock, thus causing a motorcyclist to collide with the wayward fixture. This led to a collision with another motorcyclist and four other vehicles.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities. The first rider is receiving treatment for a fractured arm at Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) while the second motorcyclist sustained minor injuries, according to cops.

The dashcam video of the incident was shared on The Star’s Facebook Reels platform with more than a few questioning this version of events.

Could a two-year-old child swing the door so wide open? It was also insinuated that the driver (or even passenger) “cuci tangan” (pass the buck) by conveniently shifting the blame onto the hapless toddler.

That a two-year-old is unable to defend himself or herself makes him/her a convenient scapegoat though some commenters believe the parents or adults in the car should be held responsible.

Some commenters donned their sleuth caps and tried to surmise how a young child could have caused this unfortunate mishap?

It was enough that the door was open just a fraction for it to have caught the motorcycle handle causing it to lose balance, opined one amateur detective.

It was also argued that failure to place the kid in a child seat was an offence in itself, never mind allowing the kid to open the door. This act of negligence means parents (or whoever was driving the vehicle) is liable, argued one observer.

Some even sought to deflect the blame from the child onto the speeding bikers who shouldn’t be in the centre splitting lanes and cutting through traffic.

There are a few things to note about this unfortunate incident.

Firstly, this video clearly shows the dangers of speeding in between lanes by motorcyclists. Not only is there the danger of wayward doors but the more common danger of (unseen) cars cutting across at junctions.

Secondly, if indeed a two-year-old child was responsible for causing the accident, the blame should still lay squarely with the person commandeering the vehicle. The kid should have been securely fastened in a child seat and child lock on the door secured.

The cops have confirmed that the incident is being investigated under Section 43 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for careless and inconsiderate driving.

Perhaps an extra charge for shifting blame onto a defenceless child should also be added. – Focus Malaysia