BENTONG: A 40-year-old police sergeant was among the three people killed in the accident involving eight vehicles, including two trailers at KM42 of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway near Bukit Tinggi here today (Sept 30).
Mitsubishi Expander multipurpose-vehicle driver Mohd Ridzuan Zulkafly, who is attached to the Bukit Aman Air Wing (Drone Unit) died on the spot in the 3.40am mishap.
His 40-year-old wife and 11-year-old daughter were seriously injured, and 14-year-old son escaped with light injuries.
Two others who were killed on the spot were three-tonne lorry driver Muhamad Zaimi Shariff, 39, and his assistant Muhammad Azizul Fitrie Md Zaire, 23.
They were involved in a fatal crash involving eight vehicles that claimed the lives of three people, leaving four others severely injured, one with light injuries and four unhurt.
Bentong police chief Superintendent Zaiham Mohd Kahar said initial investigations revealed that a trailer laden with concrete beams travelling on the fast lane (right), from Rawang, Selangor, towards Karak, had triggered the massive crash.
"Upon reaching the spot, the lorry driven by Zaimi changed lanes from the slow lane (left) to fast to overtake another trailer, which was travelling on the slow lane.
"The trailer, laden with concrete beams, tried to avoid Zaimi's lorry but ended up crashing into it.
"The impact of the crash resulted in Zaimi losing control of the wheel and crashing into the trailer which he had attempted to overtake.
"The concrete laden trailer hit the divider in the middle of the expressway before it caught fire. The concrete debris landed on the opposite lane (towards Kuala Lumpur) causing five vehicles, including a trailer to crash into it," he said in a statement today (Sept 30).
Zaiham said the 49-year-old trailer driver who caused the accident has 27 previous traffic summonses and his vehicle has 14 summonses for various offences.
He said the driver who is seriously injured is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act for reckless driving.
Caption:1. An early morning crash involving eight vehicles killed three people at KM42 of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway in Bentong.