Coroner rules rice seller’s death in lightning arrestor collapse a misadventure
A coroner's court in Penang today returned a verdict of misadventure in the inquest to determine the cause of death of economy rice seller Lim Chin Aik, who was driving on Jalan Macalister when the Menara Umno lightning arrestor fell on his car.
Coroner Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim, in his decision, said Lim, 44, died between 6.45pm and 6.50pm on June 13 from a misadventure caused by the structure collapsing along with a concrete mast from the 21-storey building.
He said it was an unprecedented case where no body was found.
"There is also no earlier case that the court could refer to but we are satisfied with the evidence presented that the identity of the driver of the wrecked car was Lim Chin Aik.
"In all probability Lim was the driver. Evidence showed that he had driven the same car to pick up his daughter and Jalan Macalister is the usual route he used to reach her school on Jalan Gottlieb," he said.
Khairul said a death certificate can now be issued by the National Registration Department to Lim's family.
Lim's widow Lee Chai Song, 48, who was accompanied by several family members, wept when the decision was passed.
She said she was thankful that her family can finally get closure.
The family had been waiting since June to get Lim's death certificate.
Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo held a watching brief for the family.
The incident that claimed Lim's life took place when Penang was hit by a freak storm that created havoc around the state last June. Many trees were uprooted and buildings damaged in the storm.
Lim, a father of three from Pengkalan Weld, was driving on Jalan Macalister on his way to pick up his daughter from school.
Closed-circuit television recordings later showed that his car was smashed and pushed into the ground by the collapsed structure.
Search and rescue operations that started two days after the incident failed to locate his remains. Only parts of his smashed Honda City were pulled out of the ground.
Meanwhile, the Menara Umno inquiry is ongoing to investigate what caused the collapse and to make recommendations to prevent similar incidents. - November 29, 2013.
