BATU PAHAT, June 2 — A 19-year-old male teenager has been remanded for two days to assist police investigations into a tragic road accident that claimed five lives, including four members of the same family, on Jalan Renggam-Simpang Renggam near Batu Pahat.
The remand order, effective from today until tomorrow, was granted by Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno at the Batu Pahat Magistrate’s Court. The investigation is being conducted under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which relates to reckless and dangerous driving.
The teenager, who was driving a Mercedes-Benz A250 during the incident, arrived at the court at approximately 10.20am accompanied by police officers. He was dressed in brown lock-up attire as authorities proceeded with the remand application.
The fatal accident, which occurred at about 1.15pm yesterday, involved five vehicles and resulted in one of the deadliest road tragedies reported in Johor this year.
According to police, preliminary investigations revealed that the teenager was allegedly driving recklessly alongside a BMW 530e driven by his 22-year-old brother. The vehicles were believed to be travelling along the road when the BMW lost control.
Kluang District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Bahrin Mohd Noh said the BMW entered the opposite lane before colliding with several vehicles, including a Perodua Alza, Toyota Vios, Proton Wira and another Mercedes-Benz.
The impact of the collision was devastating. Four members of a family travelling together were killed at the scene after suffering severe head and body injuries. Among the victims was a 10-year-old girl.
Emergency responders rushed to the location to provide assistance, but the injuries sustained by the victims were too severe. The accident scene drew attention from road users and nearby residents as rescue and recovery efforts were carried out.
Meanwhile, the 22-year-old driver of the BMW, who was also the suspect’s elder brother, succumbed to his injuries while being transported to hospital. His death brought the total number of fatalities in the accident to five.
Police have urged members of the public to avoid reckless driving and to always obey traffic regulations. Investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances that led to the crash.
The tragedy has once again raised concerns about dangerous driving behaviour on Malaysian roads. Authorities continue to remind motorists that irresponsible actions behind the wheel can have devastating consequences, not only for drivers themselves but also for innocent road users.
As investigations continue, police are expected to gather further evidence and witness statements to establish the sequence of events that resulted in the fatal collision.
