Forensic expert demonstrates how Adib was likely hit by EMRS van

INQUEST | The inquest into the death of Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim today witnessed a demonstration of what could have happened to the firefighter in the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riots, with an Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) van brought to the Coroner's Court in Shah Alam.

The van, however, was not the same vehicle involved in the incident on Nov 27 last year.

The demonstration, which started at 10.30am and lasted for almost 30 minutes, was conducted by Kuala Lumpur Hospital forensic expert Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasmi, the inquest's 24th witness.

The demonstration was aimed at strengthening Hafizam's theory on the broken ribs suffered by Adib after he was hit by the EMRS van during the riots.

Coroner Rofiah Mohamad was also shown how the van had reversed according to the witness’s findings.

It is understood that the EMRS van reversed at a speed of 17kmh, similar to the situation on the night of the incident.

'Not caused by van door'

Hafizam (photo) later testified that the injuries sustained by Adib  were not caused by the left door of the EMRS van he was in.

He said this could be determined even without conducting an experiment, as it was clear from clinical examination and the postmortem.

"The injuries on the victim’s right chest were likely caused by a blunt, hard and wide object with a rough surface, and could have been the road shoulder, obstruction object or any other objects on the scene,” he said.

The witness said this when replying to questions by lawyer Mohd Kamaruzaman A Wahab, who is representing Adib's family, on the 34th day of the inquest.

Previously, Hafizam said he had carried out an experiment on the cause of Adib’s injuries to refute the theories presented by retired pathologist Dr Shahrom Abd Wahid.

Shahrom, the 29th witness, had testified that the injuries on Adib’s chest may have been caused by the EMRS van door.

Hafizam, who was recalled to testify again, said he could not explain the real cause of the victim’s injuries, unless he was by Adib's side at the scene, and when the victim passed away.

“What specific object caused the bruises on the right chest of the victim, I cannot explain, because we are working ‘blind’, as no eyewitness came forward to give clues (on the incident),” he said.

Hafizam did not agree to Kamaruzaman’s suggestion that as a forensic expert, he was trained to peel off the skin, layer by layer of a dead body during the postmortem process.

He explained that if this act was done, it would disfigure the body.

“We, as far as possible, would try to prevent damage on the body, but I did tear tissues and muscles to see the bruises on the victim’s body,” he said.

Hafizam stressed even though he did not slice every skin layer of the body to identify bruises, that did not mean he did not conduct a thorough examination.

Adib, a member of the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station EMRS Unit, who was seriously injured in the riots last year, died on Dec 17 at the National Heart Institute.

- Bernama