SUNGAI PETANI – The Magistrate’s Court here has rejected a police application to remand a lorry driver involved in the tragic road accident that claimed the lives of six members of a family in Kampung Baru Pinang Tunggal on Sunday.
The decision was made by Magistrate Mohamad Azlan Basri during proceedings at Magistrate’s Court 3. The 49-year-old driver was arrested shortly after the fatal collision, which has shocked the nation and sparked widespread public discussion about road safety.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which covers causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
According to Kedah Police Chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah, the driver underwent a urine screening test and the result was negative for drugs. He also confirmed that the driver possessed a valid driving licence at the time of the incident.
However, police checks revealed that the man had accumulated seven traffic summonses, with four of them still pending. Despite this, authorities stressed that all aspects of the case are still being investigated to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Datuk Adzli said preliminary findings showed that the lorry involved was travelling at approximately 60 kilometres per hour before the collision occurred. He added that investigators are examining various factors, including vehicle conditions, road circumstances and driver actions leading up to the incident.
The tragedy involved a Proton X50 sports utility vehicle (SUV) carrying members of the same family. Reports indicated that the vehicle had only been collected from a dealership a few hours before the crash took place.
In the accident, the SUV was travelling from Pinang Tunggal towards Sungai Petani town when it collided with a lorry transporting a load of soil from the opposite direction. The impact of the collision resulted in the deaths of six occupants of the SUV, including members of the same family.
A three-year-old girl, who was also in the vehicle, survived the crash but sustained serious injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
The heartbreaking incident has drawn attention across the country, especially after it emerged that the victims were travelling in a newly acquired vehicle. Many Malaysians have expressed sympathy for the grieving family while awaiting the outcome of the police investigation.
Datuk Adzli said a comprehensive investigation is being carried out with the assistance of the Computerized Vehicle Inspection Center (Puspakom) to ensure that all technical and mechanical aspects of the vehicles involved are thoroughly examined.
As investigations continue, police have urged the public not to speculate on the cause of the accident and to allow authorities to complete their work. The findings of the investigation are expected to provide a clearer picture of the circumstances that led to one of the country’s most devastating road tragedies in recent days.
