JOHOR BARU, May 15 — Kayak athlete Siti Nurul Masyitah Md Elias was seriously injured in a crash involving a man driving under the influence of alcohol at Km3.5 of the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) heading towards Kota Tinggi on Saturday.

Johor Baru Selatan police chief ACP Raub Selamat said the victim suffered a fractured right shoulder and hip bone as well as leg injuries and was still receiving treatment at a private hospital in Iskandar Puteri.

"The accident happened at about 4.30pm when the Toyota Vios car abruptly changed from the middle lane to the left before hitting the victim who was riding a motorcycle from behind,” he said in a statement today.

A breathalyser test proved that the 31-year-old driver was driving under the influence of alcohol, he said.

"The driver, who has seven traffic summonses, was detained for a day on the day of the incident to assist with the investigation under Section 44 of the Road Transport Act 1987,” he said, adding that the driver did not sustain any injuries.

Raub has appealed to eyewitnesses to contact investigating officer Insp Kelly Lee Ya Yek at 014-6977122.

Meanwhile, Mechanical Engineering Department Student Association of the Ibrahim Sultan Polytechnic said that Siti Nurul Masyitah, 22, who is a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Manufacturing) student, was part of the national traditional boat team which grabbed bronze at the 2023 SEA Games.

"Please pray for her recovery,” it said in a Facebook post.

It said that Siti Nurul Masyitah often commutes from the polytechnic to her home to care for her mother who has spinal problems due to an accident, and her father who needs dialysis treatment. — Bernama