Accident victim laid to rest with beloved teddy

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A large teddy bear that belonged to Lee Zi Rou, who tragically lost her life after being crushed by a toppled container, was cremated alongside her in a poignant gesture, ensuring that she would always have her favourite possession with her.

The grieving mother of 21-year-old Lee, who wished to be known as Lim, 42, said she had bought the teddy bear for her daughter when she got her driving licence two years ago.

“Since then, the teddy bear has always been with her.

Who lost her life after being crushed by a cargo container. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star“I don’t want her to be alone there; I hope the teddy bear, which was with her during her life, will accompany her,” she said in between tears during Lee’s funeral service at Lim’s house in Taman Alma here yesterday.

Lim, a single mother, said her daughter had always kept the teddy bear in her car, right up until her final moments.

Lee succumbed to her injuries last Wednesday after the car she was driving was crushed by a container at a traffic light junction at Jalan Bukit Tengah here.

Dashcam footage, which is currently circulating online, showed a trailer’s container toppling onto her car while the trailer was making a left turn.

The accident also resulted in a 25-year-old man suffering serious injuries after his car was struck by the same container during the five-vehicle collision.

Tan Chou Theng was rescued and taken to the hospital by passers-by.

Meanwhile, Lee’s colleague at her workplace, TM Unifi manager Aireen Ayu Harudin, 36, described her as an efficient and hardworking employee.

“She was a friendly person not only to me but to everyone she knew,” she said when met at the funeral.

Aireen mentioned that she found out about Lee’s tragic death on the same day when she received a message in the company’s WhatsApp group and hurried to the scene, but by that time, Lee had already been pronounced dead.

Hundreds of people, including family members and friends, paid their last respects to Lee yesterday.

The crowd, which included her colleagues and school friends, who described Lee as jovial and friendly, converged at the residence before the funeral ceremony started at about 10am.

The funeral service was conducted according to Buddhist rites, with family and friends taking turns to bid her farewell after prayers.

The cortege left the house at about 11.15am for the Berapit Chinese Cemetery and Crematorium for the cremation.

Lee’s death was one of several incidents involving heavy vehicles over the course of two days.

Last Friday, a container trailer was involved in an accident that caused the death of a motorcyclist and injured a married couple at KM69.5 of the North-South Expressway near Kluang, Johor.

Meanwhile, police said the trailer driver would be charged at the Bukit Mertajam court today.

Seberang Perai Tengah police chief Asst Comm Helmi Aris, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that the 51-year-old suspect will be charged.

“The man who was arrested after the accident was remanded until Sunday for further investigation.

“The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987,” he said.