Johor Bahru South police chief ACP Sulaiman Salleh, who confirmed the matter, said speculation linking the release of the 22-year-old woman to her family’s status was unfounded.

“Give the police time to conduct investigations, do not rush to make assumptions,” he said when contacted here.

He was commenting on statements and pictures that went viral on social media claiming the woman’s release on bail was due to her family’s connections.

In the early morning incident on February 18, eight teenagers who were cycling along Jalan Lingkaran Dalam near here were killed after being hit by the car driven by the woman driver.

The incident also left four others with broken legs, two in unstable condition due to brain haemorrhages, one with a head wound, and another with a hip injury.

The woman was arrested for investigation but released on police bail the following day (Feb 19) after her statement was recorded.