Tragic morning: Fire and Rescue Department personnel dousing the flaming Pos Malaysia lorry near the Pedas-Linggi toll plaza on the North-South Expressway. The early morning accidents also claimed the lives of (inset) Mohd Fauzan and his wife Nur Hidayah.
PETALING JAYA: It was a deadly Thursday morning as 14 people – a family of four, four friends, four college students and two others – were killed in four separate accidents in a space of just under three hours between about 3.30am and 6am.
Army staff member Mohd Fauzan Bakar was travelling with his wife and two young daughters when he is said to have lost control of his car which collided with another car along the Bahau-Keratong highway at around 6am yesterday.
Mohd Fauzan, 33, who was attached to an army camp in Port Dickson, wife Nur Hidayah Ngah, 28, and daughters Nur Ain Shahira, six, and Nur Aina Shameera, 10 months, all died at the scene.
It is understood that Mohd Fauzan and his family were travelling home from Bandar Muadzam Shah in Pahang when the collision occurred at km18 of the stretch, near Ladang Geddes.
Their bodies were taken to the Jempol Hospital for a post-mortem and later released to family members.
The driver of the other car had been coming from the opposite direction. He suffered serious injuries and was admitted to the same hospital.
In Kampar, four college students were killed in a collision involving a Perodua Viva they were travelling in and a lorry at km25.5 of the Ipoh-Kuala Lumpur trunk road, near Gua Tempurung.
Thomas Loh, who was driving the car at that time, is said to have overtaken another vehicle and crashed into the lorry at 5am.
Loh and his passengers, all from the Tunku Abdul Rahman College, died at the scene.
The other victims were identified as Koh Suet Mun and Wong Pei Pei and Ling Yok Sue.
The 42-year-old lorry driver has been held for questioning.
In an earlier incident, a north-bound trailer laden with plastic goods crashed through a guardrail and ploughed into a Pos Malaysia lorry on the opposite lane near the Pedas-Linggi toll plaza of the North-South Expressway.
The crash caused the postal lorry to catch fire. Its driver, Hasmadi Safar, 37, and attendant Mohd Shahrim Mohd Saad, 30, died at the scene in the 4.10am incident at km51.9 of the highway.
Initial investigations showed that the driver of the trailer had earlier ploughed into the rear of another lorry, which was carrying fertilisers. He then lost control and hit the Pos Malaysia vehicle.
Bukit Aman traffic police chief Senior Asst Comm Mohd Fuad Abd Latiff said motorists have to be more responsible and focused when they are behind the wheel of any vehicle.
SAC Mohd Fuad said motorists should also always get a good rest before taking to the roads.
“If you are feeling tired, stop at a lay-by and rest.
Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said police are looking to reduce the daily average of 20 fatalities in road accidents.
The average of deaths per day was high and needed to be addressed, he added.
“We are looking at implementing new strategies to bring the accident rate down,” he said.
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