The driver of the tipper truck that crashed into the car of a Singaporean family in the Malaysian town of Port Dickson, killing all four of them, has been released on police bail.
Port Dickson police chief Zainudin Ahmad said the 54-year-old man, whose remand order ended on Sunday (Jan 7), was released on the same day on police bond with one surety until Feb 22.
“We were advised by the deputy public prosecutor to complete our investigations first before taking the case to court and charging him,” the police chief told The Straits Times on Monday.
“We’re looking to do so after we receive the full reports from the Chemistry Department and Puspakom. But it would take a while for both to be ready.”
Puspakom refers to the Malaysian computerised vehicle inspection company.
Mr Zainudin had previously said that the driver’s blood and urine samples tested negative for both alcohol and drugs, but the samples had been sent to the Chemistry Department to see if there were other elements in his system.
A background check on the driver also found that he has a clean record.
During questioning, the driver claimed that the truck’s brake had failed, prompting the police to send the truck to Puspakom for a thorough check.
The gruesome crash last Wednesday happened at the intersection of Jalan Lukut-Sepang, involving five vehicles.
The four Singaporean victims were identified as Mr Rosli Samad, 54, Madam Maimuna Sapari, 51, Ms Nur Amalina Rosli, 21, and Ms Dayana Sarah Rosli, 18. They were on holiday and believed to be on their way back to Singapore before tragedy struck around 2.30pm.
Photos of the crash, which involved the family’s Honda Stream, a tipper truck, a Mercedes-Benz SUV, a Perodua Myvi and a motorcycle, began circulating on social media that afternoon.
They showed the Singapore-registered white Honda Stream crushed by a tipper truck.
A video posted on Facebook also showed the moment the tipper truck was going downhill when the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle before crashing into the vehicles.
Passengers of the Honda Stream died at the scene and were taken to Port Dickson Hospital, while the driver, Mr Rosli, died en route to Seremban Hospital.
Fearing for his safety, the tipper truck driver abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot after the accident. He turned himself in at the Lukut police station around 5.30pm on the same day.
Preliminary investigations found that the truck, coming from Sepang, hit the motorcycle before skidding onto the opposite lane and crashing into the Perodua Myvi, the Mercedes-Benz, and finally, the Honda Stream.
