KUALA LUMPUR — A 21-year-old man suffered severe head injuries after a freak gokart accident at a popular circuit in Puchong in the early hours of July 11.
The victim, who was taking part in a recreational gokart session with a group of 13 youths, was involved in the freak accident at about 2.37am while on the circuit.
Witnesses say his long hair was not secured and got caught in one of the wheels.
A family member said the crash left the victim with serious head trauma. Witnesses claimed his helmet was torn off during the impact and was seen rolling across the track.
As a result of the crash the victim’s scalp was torn from his head during impact, a severe injury which required emergency surgery.
Two witnesses who were watching from the spectator area said they saw the victim standing after the crash, but with his head covered in blood.
They alleged that despite the severity of the incident, the race continued and was not immediately stopped with a red flag, leaving the injured rider exposed on the track while other gokarts remained in motion.
The witnesses also claimed that the marshal assigned to the corner where the crash occurred was not stationed at the post at the time of the accident.
Based on police reports filed by the injured man’s father and another witness, in the 2.40am incident, the victim was instructed to walk on his own to an open garage area and was seated on a chair despite suffering heavy bleeding from his head.
“Although several staff members were reportedly nearby, no immediate professional medical assistance was provided,” said a witness.
The witnesses claimed staff only placed a thin blue cloth over the victim’s head before later providing a first aid kit.
The emergency treatment was allegedly carried out by the victim’s friends, a medical student, with one of them using bandages from the first aid kit to stop the bleeding
Concerns were also raised over the ambulance response. The chronology stated that almost 20 minutes passed after the crash without an ambulance arriving, despite claims that emergency services had been contacted.
One of the witnesses eventually called the emergency hotline 999 herself, with the call connected to Hospital Serdang, which informed them that an ambulance was on the way.
Following urgent appeals from the victim’s friends, he was eventually taken to Hospital Serdang at about 3am in a vehicle belonging to the circuit management.
However, the family member alleged that the driver or representative from the management dropped the victim at the hospital’s emergency department and left without completing the registration process.
The victim’s friends then assisted in bringing him to the registration counter, after which he was admitted to the Red Zone for critical treatment.
A parent of one of the victim’s friends, later arrived at the hospital and helped complete the registration process.
The victim was placed under specialist supervision due to severe head trauma before being transferred from Hospital Serdang to Hospital Putrajaya at about 11am where he underwent emergency surgery.
The incident has sparked questions over safety procedures and emergency preparedness at motorsport facilities, including whether appropriate medical response measures were in place during the crash.
Also that the circuit operated beyond its 2am closing time raises questions.
When contacted the victim’s father said the family is too distraught by the whole incident.
“We wish to focus on the recovery of our son, at this moment,” he told Scoop.
Scoop is withholding the identities of the victim and his family at this time.
The circuit operator has been contacted for comments. – July 13, 2026