Teens Assault Woman E-hailing Driver Over Unpaid Fare

ALOR GAJAH, May 19 (Bernama) -- A female e-hailing driver was injured after being beaten and choked by three teenage passengers who claimed they could not afford the fare upon arriving at an area near a forest in Kuala Sungai Baru here on May 14.

Alor Gajah district police chief Supt Ahmad Abu Bakar said the 41-year-old victim had accepted a booking involving four passengers — two girls aged 14 and two boys aged 15 and 17 — from Bukit Rambai to Pekan Kuala Sungai Baru at about 12.30 am on that day.

“Investigations show that upon arriving at an area near a forest in Kuala Sungai Baru, one of the suspects asked the victim to stop the vehicle on the pretext of looking for someone and also claimed they had no money to make an online payment.

“A few minutes later, three of the suspects — two girls and one boy — turned aggressive and attacked the victim using a hard object, besides choking her from behind the driver’s seat and threatening her not to seek help,” he said in a statement here today.

He said the fourth suspect did not return to the car as he had fled far from the scene.

He said the e-hailing driver managed to escape before lodging a police report on the same day. She sustained swelling and bruises on several parts of her body, as well as compression marks on her neck.

Ahmad said medical examinations confirmed that the injuries sustained by the victim were caused by an assault, and the case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt using a weapon or dangerous object.

He said all four teenagers were arrested the same afternoon and remanded until tomorrow to assist in further investigations.

-- BERNAMA