QuickCheck: Did a burning lorry drive against traffic on a highway near Nilai?

IN THE age of fast-sharing social media, extraordinary events can quickly captivate the public’s attention.

Recently, a video surfaced showing a lorry engulfed in flames manoeuvring into oncoming traffic, which left viewers in shock.

With such dramatic footage circulating widely, the question on everyone’s mind is: did this fiery lorry truly drive against traffic near Nilai?

Verdict:

TRUE

News of the incident first broke when a 20-second video clip went viral on social media, showing a tanker lorry on fire veering into the opposite lane of a highway near Nilai.

The tanker was carrying a load of palm oil when it caught fire, lost control, and swerved into oncoming traffic at KM44.6 of the northbound Elite Highway.

Nilai district OCPD Supt Abdul Malik Hasim stated that the accident occurred at noon when the tanker, driven by a 53-year-old local man, veered into the opposite lane.

“As a result of the initial accident involving the car and tanker, debris was littered on the highway causing another two vehicles, a car and an SUV, from opposite directions to crash into the debris,” he said.

The tanker, travelling from Jasin, Melaka to Klang, Selangor, collided with the first car, causing the car to overturn and come to rest in the middle of the highway.

Following the initial collision with the car, the tanker struck the right-side road barrier, entered the opposite lane, and stopped in the emergency lane while still ablaze.

The driver of the car, a 21-year-old woman, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Tuanku Jaafar Hospital in Seremban for treatment.

Fortunately, the other drivers were unharmed. The case has been classified under Section 43 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, and investigations are ongoing.