KUALA LUMPUR: What was supposed to be a family holiday turned into a tragedy when three members of a family were fatally struck by an Immigration Department lorry.
Even more tragically, the family members were in a designated safe zone while waiting to cross Jalan Sultan Ismail near a traffic light junction.
These were the preliminary findings by police based on CCTV footage of the accident, which happened at 1am yesterday, resulting in the deaths of Shaik Mohd Firdaus Shaikh Yahya, 53, and his two daughters, Siti Nor Sazlin, 25, and Siti Darwisyah Auni, 12.
Firdaus’ wife, Norhayati Razali, 55, suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Hospital Kuala Lumpur, where she is currently in the intensive care unit.
A relative of the family, who only wished to be known as “Kak Siti”, said the family would usually inform her of their plans when visiting the city but did not do so this time.
“Usually, if they were coming to Kuala Lumpur, they would tell us.
“But this time, they quietly came here for a holiday,” she said when met outside Hospital Kuala Lumpur forensics department.
She added that she last met the family in Tanjung Malim during her child’s wedding on July 26.
“I never imagined that would be our last meeting,” Kak Siti said, holding back her grief.
Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) director Comm Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali said the accident occurred at the traffic light intersection of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman near Maju Junction.
He added that the lorry, which was empty and had its beacon lights and siren activated at the time, was travelling towards Kampung Baru when it entered the intersection while the traffic light was red.
“At the same time, a car travelling from Chow Kit towards Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, after getting a green light, collided with the front section of the lorry,” he said.
This, he added, caused the lorry driver to lose control of the vehicle before it struck the family, who were waiting to cross the road from Medan Tuanku towards Chow Kit.
The lorry also hit an MPV travelling from Kampung Baru towards Jalan Raja Laut, which had stopped at the traffic light, he said.
Breathalyser tests for alcohol and preliminary urine screenings conducted on the two drivers were negative.
All three drivers involved in the crash were reported to be uninjured.
The 43-year-old lorry driver and the 50-year-old car driver were remanded for one day.
Comm Muhammed Hasbullah urged the public not to speculate about the incident pending the completion of investigations under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act.
Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said CCTV footage showed that the family was in a safe area while crossing the road before being hit by the lorry.
“The CCTV system in the area is of a high standard and has helped in the investigation,” he told reporters yesterday.
In a related development, Immigration Department director-general Datuk Zakaria Shaaban said the department would conduct its own internal investigation.
The probe will focus on compliance with standard operating procedures and safety aspects in the operation of its vehicles, he added.
It was learnt that the victims’ bodies were taken back for burial at the Kampung Air Hitam Labu Muslim Cemetery in Kampar, Perak, last night after funeral prayers were held here.
