IPOH, July 14 — A trailer driver who was involved in an accident that claimed four lives at KM277.1 of the south-bound North-South Expressway yesterday, has been remanded for three days until Saturday.

The remand order was issued by Magistrate’s Court assistant registrar Puteri Nordina Kamalaudin following an application by the police.

Earlier, Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the 34-year-old trailer driver had 13 previous records for traffic offences from 2008 until last year, three of which were related to road accidents.

"However, the urine test showed that the man was not driving under drugs influence,” he said in a statement today.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.

Mior Faridalathrash said police received an emergency call at 2.45 pm yesterday and the findings of the investigation revealed that the unloaded trailer, which was heading towards Bukit Beruntung, Selangor from Taiping, had crashed into the rear of a car with four family members in it.

"The impact caused the trailer and car to plough into five other vehicles. The other vehicles were badly damaged but all drivers and passengers escaped unhurt,” he added.

In the meantime, Mior Faridalathrash urged those who witnessed the accident to contact the investigating officer, Inspector Mohd Tarmini Che Hassan, at 013-5949441 to assist in the investigation.

The horrific accident killed a retired policeman, Rahim Ramli, 60; his wife, Siti Petimah Omar, 59; and their two daughters, Nor Hadirah, 28, and Nor Hamizah, 27. — Bernama