BALING: A man's attempt to avoid crashing into a monkey resulted in an accident on the Malau-Kuala Ketil trunk road yesterday, which claimed the lives of his wife and mother.
Mohd Fadzil Othman's wife, Siti Norhaslisa Kamarudin, 26, and mother, Omi Kalsom Man, 69, succumbed to severe injuries and died on the spot in the 6.12pm accident.
Mohd Fadzil, 27, and his son Lufh Mikhael, 3, escaped the accident unhurt while his daughter, Lufiya Mikayla, 2, is receiving treatment at the hospital.
Acting Baling police chief Deputy Superintendent Charan Ai Wan said the family was returning from a recreational outing in Sungai Sedim, Kulim, to their home in Bedong, Sungai Petani.
"Upon reaching the location, a monkey reportedly darted across the road, prompting the driver to veer left.
"He lost control, causing the vehicle to cross into the opposite lane and crash into the nearby bushes," he said in a statement today.
Charan said Fadzil and his children were rushed to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital in Sungai Petani for treatment.
"The bodies of the victims were sent to Kulim Hospital for post-mortem examination," he said.
He added that the case is under investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death due to reckless or dangerous driving.