Trailer driver in NSE crash had 13 traffic summonses, police say

The trailer driver involved in the accident that claimed four lives at KM277.1 of the south-bound North-South Expressway yesterday had 13 previous records for traffic offences, police say.

Perak police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the 34-year-old driver had traffic summonses ranging from 2008 until last year, three of which were related to road accidents.

"Police have arrested the trailer driver and he will be remanded today to assist in the investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless driving," he said in a statement.

He added however that the man's urine test had come back negative for drugs.

Mior said the police received an emergency call at 2.45pm yesterday and that the findings of the investigation revealed that the unloaded trailer, which was heading towards Bukit Beruntung, Selangor from Taiping, had crashed into the rear of a car with four family members in it.
 
"The impact caused the trailer and car to plough into five other vehicles. The other vehicles were badly damaged but the drivers and passengers escaped unhurt," he added.

He urged those who had witnessed the accident to contact the investigating officer, Mohd Tarmini Che Hassan, at 013-5949441 to assist in the investigation.

The accident killed retired policeman, Rahim Ramli, 60; his wife, Siti Petimah Omar, 59; and their two daughters, Nor Hadirah, 28, and Nor Hamizah, 27.