Factory manager gets away from car moments before lorry crashes into it

MELAKA: A 36-year-old factory manager got out of harm’s way moments before his luxury car burst into flames after a crash along KM199.7 of the North-South Expressway near Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza.

Tan Hong Ta from Johor Baru was thankful that no fatalities occurred after a tanker lorry collided with the rear of his car in the 2.40pm accident on Wednesday (Jan 8) before catching fire.

He said he had experienced a punctured front tyre while on the way to Kuala Lumpur from Johor Baru to attend a business meeting.

“After experiencing the puncture, I stopped along the emergency lane and waited almost two hours for a tow truck.

“I decided to stay out of the car for safety reasons by taking shelter at an open area along the stretch,” he said when met at the scene.

Tan said that when the tow truck arrived at the scene, the tanker failed to stop and crashed into a trailer lorry before veering off its course.

“The tanker lorry caught fire right next to my car, and I was about 100m away from the scene before witnessing multiple explosions from the trailer,” he said.

Tan added that he decided to move away from his stalled car after hearing about fatal accidents involving motorists remaining inside vehicles when encountering mechanical glitches along the emergency lanes of the expressway,” he added.

Melaka Fire and Rescue Department’s Senior Fire Officer Mohd Sany Sahari said both the luxury car and the tanker were ravaged in the accident.

He said the trailer was empty when the accident occurred while the driver of another trailer escaped unscathed.

“The trailer driver suffered 40% burns covering and was given medical treatment by the Emergency Medical Rescue Services (EMRS) team before being rushed to Melaka Hospital.

The accident was the second mishap that occurred in the state on Wednesday.

Earlier, an express bus driver was seriously injured, while eight others sustained injuries in an accident involving eight vehicles at the Lebuh Sungai Udang-Paya Rumput-Alor Gajah (SPA) highway at Ayer Keroh here.

Melaka Fire and Rescue Department’s director Mohd Pisar Aziz said that they received information about the accident at 10.38am involving 15 victims — 13 men and two women.

The male express bus driver sustained serious injuries, while eight others suffered minor injuries.

Pizar said six individuals escaped unscathed, and all victims were sent to Melaka Hospital for treatment.

The express bus was empty when the accident happened.

Alor Gajah OCPD Supt Ashari Abu Samah said his men were still investigating both accidents and would update the details of the accidents as well as the victims involved, later.