GEORGE TOWN, Oct 24 — A motorist whose vehicle was damaged by falling debris when the lightning arrestor of the Umno building collapsed recounted today the harrowing details of how he had to crawl out from the under the mess when his car was hit.

Halim Mat Noor told the inquest on Lim Chin Aik's death that he was driving along Macalister Road on June 13 when he saw an object falling in front of his car while debris smashed his car wind screens and dented his car bonnet.

"I had to crawl out of my car through the back wind screen but at that time it was a blur of confusion and havoc," he said.

Shortly before the incident, Halim, 40, said he noticed a dark-coloured car with its headlights on coming from the opposite direction.

"I noticed the headlights fading but I don't know what happened after that as it was all very chaotic after the object fell down," he said.

Halim was driving past Macalister Road when the lightning arrester along with a concrete beam of the Umno building came plunging down onto the road.

He was not able to ascertain if he had seen Lim's car coming from the opposite direction as it was raining heavily so he only noticed headlights and a dark coloured car.

"I don't know what happened to the car after the structure fell but I noticed the four cars in front of me was also damaged from the falling debris and structure," he said.

The inquest, before coroner Khairul Anuar Abd Halim, was to ascertain the death of economy rice seller, Lim, whose body was never recovered from the site of the incident and a death certificate could not be issued without proof of his death.

Lim was believed buried in the road after the lightning arrester crashed onto his car directly.

Only parts of his Honda City with a chassis number that matched his was recovered from the crater created by the fallen structure.