NIBONG TEBAL, Sept 10 — An elderly woman killed in a crash involving six vehicles early today was travelling with her family from Taiping, Perak to send her grandson to a higher learning institution in Perlis.
Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS) District Police chief Supt Ng Ah Thiam said the other family members comprised of a couple and their two sons.
“They got involved in the crash after a trailer carrying a load of timber lost control and skidded to the right of the highway barrier before being hit by another trailer from the same direction.
“The 54-year-old man who was driving the Toyota Corolla did not have time to brake and avoid hitting the trailer carrying a load of timber. It was also raining at the time,” he said when contacted here today.
He said the driver of the car was sent to Seberang Jaya Hospital while his 48-year-old wife and their two sons aged 19 and 22, were sent to the Parit Buntar Hospital (HPB) in Perak. All of them were seriously injured.
Ng said the seriously injured 24-year-old driver of the trailer carrying timber was also sent to HPB.
Meanwhile, he said another two injured victims were female passengers of a Perodua Bezza, aged 24 and 44, however, they only suffered minor injuries requiring outpatient treatment.
“The accident also caused two cars, a Proton Waja and a Perodua Bezza from the opposite lane to be involved after the drivers failed to avoid the load of timber which fell onto the opposite lane,” he said.
He said the driver of another trailer and 12 individuals from two other cars involved in the incident escaped unhurt.
According to him, further investigations are still underway and the crash is being investigated in accordance with Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
The incident today caused severe congestion for more than seven hours after the route was completely closed to allow work to remove the fallen timber from the road. — Bernama
