A 46-second clip of a pedestrian being flung into the air by a motorcycle in George Town is genuine, and the 32-year-old man did break his leg. The claim is TRUE, the QuickCheck column at The Star concluded on 9 October, three days after the footage began circulating on WhatsApp.
The crash happened at about 9.10pm on 5 October on Lebuh Chulia, a busy strip in George Town lined with restaurants and stalls. The video was shared on WhatsApp and social media in the days that followed, prompting viewers to ask whether the man had in fact broken his leg. The pedestrian, a local man, was crossing the road when a motorcycle ridden by a 22-year-old man struck him. The rider had been travelling from his workplace in Lebuh Chulia towards Jalan Patani.
Timur Laut deputy OCPD Supt Lee Swee Sake said the motorcyclist suffered minor injuries, while the pedestrian suffered a broken leg and was still receiving treatment in hospital. Members of the public reached the pedestrian before both men were taken to hospital for further treatment, Sin Chew Daily reported.
The footage shows a man in dark clothing stepping into the road before a motorcycle arrives at speed and strikes him. He is thrown to the ground and does not get up, while the rider stands and bystanders move in. Investigators believe the crash was caused by the rider’s negligence in handling his vehicle, which led him to hit the pedestrian as the man crossed, Supt Lee said.
Police detected the 46-second video on WhatsApp on 8 October and used it to establish that the collision had taken place on 5 October, three days earlier. The case is being investigated under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which covers driving without due care and attention. On conviction, that section carries a fine of up to RM10,000 and a prison term of up to 12 months.
Screenshots from the footage show a row of tables and chairs set up along the kerb close to where the pedestrian fell. The Penang Island City Council, known as MBPP, faced calls to act on roadside seating along the stretch after the crash, with a social media post by Muhammad Noor Ikhwan urging stronger enforcement carried by Mediatelus on 8 October.
The screenshots published with the police statement carry a date stamp of Monday, 5 October, which matches the account investigators gave of when the collision happened. MBPP governs Penang Island, including George Town, where Lebuh Chulia runs through the heart of the old town’s dining district.
