Cops dismiss mystical elements in Langkawi child joyride case

 

Police dismissed claims of mystical elements in the case where a six-year-old boy took his brother in their parent's car for a joyride before crashing into a lamppost on Tuesday night.

According to Langkawi police chief Shariman Ashari, the child was, in fact, well versed with the functions of the accelerator pedal, gear shift mechanism, and the brakes on the car - which he demonstrated to the cops.

"A check of the car's dashcam showed the (boy's driving) was not stable, as the vehicle kept veering off to the opposite lane of the road and (was) all over the road.

"The boy also showed us how to switch on the car engine, when asked to do so," Shariman told reporters via text message today.

He was asked how a child of his small stature had managed to steer the vehicle and operate the pedals simultaneously.

Following the incident, an audio clip also went viral on social media, allegedly of the boy explaining that an "old man with a furry, warm body" had driven the Toyota Vios prior to the crash.

To this, Shariman dismissed there being mystical elements involved in the case, as made viral on social media.

Boy operates vehicle

Explaining further, Shariman said the boy demonstrated to the cops how he operated the vehicle when he accompanied his parents to have their statements recorded at the Langkawi traffic police station.

"He knew how to lower the hand brake, explained how the gear worked to the investigation officer, and even told how he reversed the car on that night," Sherman explained.

"The shop the boys (the driver and his brother) were headed to was about 5km away from their home, but the car crashed halfway there."

The incident happened about 11.15pm on Tuesday when the boy took the car to get to a "nearby shop" with his three-year-old brother in tow before crashing some 2.5km away from home.

The pair reportedly sneaked out when their father was asleep, and the mother was in the bathroom.

Luckily, the boy only sustained a minor cut on his chin from the crash, while his brother escaped unscathed. The car, however, was not as lucky as its front portion, especially the bumper, was thoroughly damaged.

Police are now investigating the case for driving in a negligent manner and child abandonment. - Mkini