Lu Xun, 55, a company director, was brought to Sungai Petani magistrates’ court in a wheelchair earlier in the day for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to a charge under the Road Transport Act 1987 for driving against the flow of traffic and causing a collision.

The court fined him RM10,000 and imposed a one-day jail sentence. He also faced 12 months in prison if he failed to pay the fine and a two-year suspension of his driving licence.

Kuala Muda police chief Hanyan Ramlan confirmed that Lu died at 5.30pm while receiving treatment at Pantai Hospital in Sungai Petani, Berita Harian reported.

Lu reportedly suffered facial injuries and was initially treated at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani before being transferred to Pantai Hospital.

According to the charge, Lu drove into the opposite lane before crashing into another vehicle along Jalan Lencongan Barat at about 9.20pm on April 26.