A 17-year-old student preparing to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination was killed after a coconut tree toppled onto the motorcycle he was riding during a storm in Kelantan.
The incident occurred at about 6pm on Wednesday (July 2) along a road beside an irrigation canal in Kampung Permatang Pasir Gunung. The victim, Nik Muhammad Haikal, was riding with his friend when strong winds and heavy rain caused a coconut tree to fall onto them.
According to Bachok district police chief Superintendent Mohamad Ismail Jamaluddin, the impact left Haikal with severe head injuries, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
His friend suffered injuries to the head, neck and hip and was taken to Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian for treatment. Police said the victim’s body was later sent to Bachok Hospital for a post-mortem examination. The chairman of the Permatang Pasir Village Development and Security Committee, Noor Azman, said the road is frequently used by villagers and students, adding that it was the first fatal incident involving a fallen tree in the area.
He also revealed that the injured passenger had previously fractured his leg in a road accident and was carrying a walking crutch when the incident happened.
Mother loses only son after already losing two daughters
The tragedy was even more heartbreaking for Haikal’s mother, who had previously lost two daughters.
His mother, Raja Rohana, 53, said she found her only son covered with a white cloth when she arrived at the scene.
“I knew he was gone,” she said.
Haikal, a secondary five student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sri Gunong, had only managed to complete two days of his SPM trial examinations before the accident.
He had sat for his Bahasa Melayu and English listening tests the previous day and completed the Bahasa Melayu written papers earlier on the day of the incident.
Heartbreak for the family
According to his mother, Haikal showed no unusual behaviour before leaving home at about 5.45pm to meet a friend. She said another friend later came to inform the family about the accident, prompting them to rush to the scene. The accident site was about 8km from their home.
Haikal was the youngest among his siblings and the family’s only son, whom his mother described as being especially close to her.
In a further blow to the family, Raja Rohana revealed that she had previously lost her eldest daughter to heart disease at the age of five, while another daughter died from illness when she was just two years old.
Haikal was laid to rest on Friday at the Islamic cemetery in Kampung Maju.
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