Toyota Hilux driver allegedly high on ‘mushroom vape’ crashes into pedestrian and shopfront in Kuantan

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — A 21-year-old driver high on a suspected “mushroom vape” ploughed into an elderly pedestrian and smashed into a shopfront in Kuantan yesterday, police said.

The crash happened at about 11.30am along Jalan Besar, leaving a 68-year-old man with minor injuries to his left knee and right hand. He was later taken to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan (HTAA) for treatment.

According to Utusan Malaysia, Kuantan police chief Assistant Commissioner Ashari Abu Samah said the suspect had been driving a Toyota Hilux from Jalan Teluk Sisek towards the city centre before losing control outside a hardware store.

“Upon arriving at the scene in front of a hardware shop, the driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle before veering off and crashing into the pedestrian and the business premises,” he said.

Police later searched the vehicle and reportedly found a plastic bottle containing synthetic MDMA.

The suspect was taken to the Kuantan district Narcotics Criminal Investigation Division for a urine screening test, which came back negative.

“The urine screening result was negative, however the suspect was handed over to the Kuantan district police headquarters’ Narcotics Division for further action under Section 12(2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952,” he reportedly said.

“Mushroom vape” typically refers to vape products containing psychoactive mushroom-derived substances or synthetic hallucinogens designed to mimic psychedelic effects.

Ashari said police believed the suspect had been driving while intoxicated from the substance, which could not be detected through standard urine tests.