Man dies in attempt to escape a police roadblock

In an attempt to escape a police roadblock, a man believed to be a criminal died when the car he was traveling in crashed into a bulldozer at Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz near Limbongan, yesterday.

A traffic policeman was also injured in the 4.45 pm incident when he tried to stop the car.

Melaka Tengah district deputy police chief Supt Razali Bakar said the Proton Persona with two men in it failed to stop at a roadblock in Jalan Laksamana here.

Traffic police personnel were alerted and the car was intercepted in Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz.

"A policeman on patrol flagged down the vehicle but fell off his motorcycle when the car grazed against the machine," he told reporters at the scene.

Razali said the car then sped off towards Limbongan before skidding and crashing into a bulldozer which was carrying out road expansion works.

He said the car caught fire and the bulldozer operator tried to douse the flames by dumping mud on it.

"Upon inspection of the car, police found a lifeless passenger and an injured driver," he said.

He said police also found several packages of white powder believed to be drugs and several tools such axes, machetes, screwdrivers and cable cutters believed to be used for house break-ins.

The two men suspects, in their 20s, have yet to be identified.

The seriously injured man and 45-year-old policeman were sent to Melaka Hospital for further treatment.