JOHOR BARU, Feb 8 — A man drowned and another survived after they tried to escape from a police inspection by jumping into the Johor River from the Semanggar Bridge, Bukit Besar, near Kota Tinggi, this afternoon.
Kota Tinggi district police chief, Supt Hussin Zamora said, however, the man who survived also eluded arrest by clambering onto the river bank before fleeing.
He said in the 12.15pm incident, the police tried to stop the two local men, in their 30s and in an Isuzu lorry after they collided with another vehicle along Jalan Kota Tinggi-Johor Baru.
‘‘Police pursued them for 10 kilometres from the petrol station along Jalan Kota Tinggi-Johor Baru before they stopped at the bridge and both jumped into the river,’’ he said when contacted by Bernama here, today.
He said one of them was swept away by fast currents and drowned.
His body was found snagged in driftwood in the river about 50 metres from the spot he jumped by a search and rescue team at 6 pm, he added. — Bernama