ALOR GAJAH: The front wheel rim of the trailer involved in the fatal Ayer Keroh accident has been recovered by Melaka police from a landfill in Tangkak, Johor.
Alor Gajah OCPD Supt Ashari Abu Samah said the rim that came off a bulk cement carrier on the North-South Expressway near Ayer Keroh was found at a landfill on Jalan Solok, Tangkak, Johor, on Saturday (Jan 4).
The rim came off the cement carrier at about 8.30pm on Dec 23 last year.
"We are continuing our effort to locate the tyre and will record the statement of a driver of the Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) truck who is believed to be the last person who saw the item," he said on Sunday (Jan 5).
Supt Ashari said his team has registered a confiscation report, and the dented rim will be sent to the Chemistry Department for further investigation.
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The trailer's front wheel has a rim diameter of 22.5 inches, and when combined with a fully inflated tyre, it is estimated to weigh more than 100kg.
Earlier, Supt Ashari said his team started searching landfills in Segamat and other potential sites in Tangkak, Johor, for the missing front wheel.
The search was intensified after the detached wheel was not sent for checks at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Center (Puspakom).
Police also met with the officer in charge of PROPEL – the company responsible for expressway maintenance - at the PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) office in Tangkak as part of their investigation.
The tragic accident claimed seven lives, including five members of a family, and injured 33 others.
