Failure to engage ‘P’ gear led to car crash at KKIA departure hall

 Police say the incident occurred during an attempt to switch drivers for the vehicle last Friday afternoon.

Videos circulating on social media showed the white SUV with heavy damage to its front end lodged at the entrance, with broken glass scattered around the area.

PETALING JAYA:

A failure to engage the “P” gear led to the incident in which a car crashed into the departure hall at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport recently.

Kota Kinabalu police chief Shahrudin Husain said the crash occurred during an attempt to switch drivers for a sport utility vehicle (SUV) at about 4.55pm on Friday, Bernama reported.

He said the 66-year-old woman driving the SUV stopped just outside the KKIA terminal to pick up her son.

The woman was attempting to switch drivers when she was believed to have forgotten to engage the ‘P’ gear, causing the vehicle to move forward slowly.

“The driver then panicked and accidentally stepped on the accelerator, causing the SUV to surge forward. It collided with another vehicle before crashing through the glass doors of the KKIA departure hall and coming to a stop after hitting a building pillar,” he said in a statement today.

It was previously reported that the glass entrance was damaged and debris was scattered across the passenger walkway. However, there were no injuries to passengers or airport staff.

Shahrudin said the driver managed to get out of the vehicle before the collision but sustained minor facial injuries from flying glass shards and was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital I for further treatment.

Videos circulating on social media showed the white SUV with heavy damage to its front end lodged at the entrance, with broken glass scattered around the area.

Police advised motorists to always ensure their vehicles are securely parked before leaving them. - FMT