Major accidents recorded at deadly stretch

THE killer Gua Tempurung stretch of the North-South Expressway near Gopeng has recorded several fatal accidents in the past.

From the year 2011 until March this year, 43 fatal accidents have been reported, with many other sustaining serious injuries.

Kampar OCPD Supt Ng Kong Soon have advised motorists repeatedly to be extra cautions when driving along the stretch.

He said the accidents usually occurred in the wee hours of the morning between 1am and 4am.

Supt Ng said due to the geographical location of the stretch, accidents could occur if one was not careful enough.

He said at that particular stretch of the expressway, the road had an uphill and downhill structure.

“If you are sleepy and tired, I suggest you drive the next morning or take a short break at any rest area before continuing with your journey.

“Don’t speed, as there is no point rushing, because if you are driving fast, an accident can happen in split seconds,” he advised.

Providing statistics from the year 2011 until March 2014, Supt Ng said there had been 43 fatal accidents at the black spot, not including the recent accident involving Karpal Singh and his aide Michael Cornelius.

The accidents had happened between KM291 and KM 295, KM296 and KM300, KM301 and KM305 and KM306 and KM 310.8, of vehicles heading towards both directions.

From the statistics provided, most fatal accidents have occurred at the particular stretch of KM301 and KM305 in 2012, where 13 lives were lost, and last year four people died at the same stretch.

Besides the accident on Thursday at KM 301.6 that claimed the lives of prominent lawyer-cum-politician Karpal Singh and Michael, while his Indonesian maid remains in critical condition, several other horrifying accident have occurred there, among them are:

> March 17, 2014       An express bus heading towards the north bound direction fell into a nine metre-deep ravine after veering off the expressway at KM301.5, leaving the driver of the Express Konsortium bus killed instantly while two passengers were left seriously injured.

> June 18, 2013       A total of 28 passengers nearly died after the tour bus they were traveling in lost control and crashed into the back of a trailer carrying scrap material at KM301.2 at about 3.35am, 13 passengers including two children aged between four and six sustained injuries.

> Nov 22, 2012        Four Projek Penyelengga-raan Lebuhraya Berhad (Propel) workers were killed and four others seriously injured after a trailer crashed into them at KM294. Three workers died on the spot while the fourth died at the hospital after the 4.30am accident.

> Nov 11, 2012        A 55-year-old woman traveling in a Toyota Avanza lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the left road divider, killing her at the scene in the 4.30am incident at KM 299.

> Dec 2, 2012          A 21-year-old Tunku Abdul Rahman College student was killed when the Mercedes Benz she was traveling in from Ipoh to Kampar was rammed into by a bus in the expressway near Gopeng.

> Dec 4, 2012          During a 12.40am accident at KM304.6, an express bus rammed into the rear of a lorry loaded with mineral water, killing the bus driver and injuring 10 other passengers, including one seriously.

> Dec 16, 2012         A 45-year-old lorry driver from Parit Buntar died at KM304.6 after hitting the back of a moving trailer at about 6.20am, and the impact caused his lorry to swerve into the right lane and collide with an oncoming express bus, and he was flung out of his vehicle and died at the scene of the accident.

> July 17, 2011          A 36-year old woman was killed on the spot after her car was involved in an accident at KM306, while her husband and four-year-old son were injured.

> Dec 11, 2010          Three Institute Kemahiran Mara Jasin students were badly injured when the bus they were on skidded out of control at KM304.5.