SUV Crashes Into KKIA Departure Hall, Police Investigation Reveals the Cause

KOTA KINABALU: Forgetting to put the gear in the ‘P’ position has been identified as the cause of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) crashing into the glass door of the departure hall of Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA), here, yesterday afternoon.

That matter was confirmed by the Kota Kinabalu District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Shahrudin Mat Husain in a media statement issued here, today, based on his department’s preliminary investigation.

The media previously reported that the incident occurred at around 4.55 pm when the driver, a 66-year-old woman, stopped the SUV in the second lane while intending to pick up her child there.

“Preliminary investigation found that the woman is believed to have forgotten to put the vehicle’s gear in the ‘P’ position when she was about to change drivers. When trying to get out, the SUV began to move slowly, causing the woman to panic before accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal.

“This caused the vehicle to surge forward and collide with another vehicle. The SUV then skidded and crashed into the glass door of the KKIA departure hall before hitting a building pillar,” he said.

Shahrudin said the woman managed to get out of the SUV before the collision occurred, but sustained minor injuries to her face due to being hit by glass shards.

He said, the victim was then taken by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital I (HQE I) for further treatment.

Shahrudin said, the case is being investigated under Rule 10, Road Traffic Rules 1959 [LN 166/59] under the Road Transport Act 1987.

He also advised road users to always ensure that their vehicles are in a safe condition before leaving them, besides driving carefully and prudently to avoid untoward incidents.

The incident of the SUV entering the KKIA departure hall building caught the public’s attention after video recordings and pictures of the incident spread on social media.

Berita Harian