Malaysian police yesterday obtained a four-day remand order against the driver of a tipper truck that crashed into the car of a Singaporean family in the town of Port Dickson, killing all four of them.
Three hearses containing the four bodies left Port Dickson Hospital at around 6pm yesterday for Singapore. They were escorted by Port Dickson police to the Seremban-Johor highway as a gesture of goodwill, said the town's police chief Zainudin Ahmad.
The remains of the family were buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery yesterday evening.
The 54-year-old truck driver, clad in standard lock-up attire, was taken to the Port Dickson Magistrate's Court court at 8.35am for the application of the remand extension to assist with the investigation, Malaysian media reports said.
The truck crashed into the family's multi-purpose vehicle, a Honda Stream, and three other vehicles at around 2.30pm at a T-junction in Jalan Lukut Sepang on Wednesday.
A preliminary police probe has found that the truck driver was going downhill when he apparently lost control of the vehicle. A video of the crash shows the truck speeding through the intersection before colliding into the vehicles.
Mr Rosli Samad, 54, who was driving the Honda Stream, died en route to Seremban Hospital.
The passengers - his wife, Madam Maimunah Sapari, 51, and his two daughters, Ms Nur Amalina Rosli, 21, and Ms Dayana Sarah Rosli, 18 - died at the scene and were taken to Port Dickson Hospital. They were believed to have been travelling on holiday.
The Straits Times understands that Mr Rosli was the owner of R S Bikes Centre, a motorcycle dealership in Kaki Bukit. His two older sons - one of whom helps him manage the firm - did not go on the trip.
Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that the eldest son did not go on the trip because his wife was about to give birth, while the second son had stayed behind to look after the motorcycle business.
Mr Rosli's brother, who lives in Johor, arrived on Wednesday night to identify the bodies.
Mr Rosli's eldest son, along with other members of the family, was at the Port Dickson Hospital yesterday morning. He was teary-eyed and distraught as he was comforted by family members.
Witness: Truck was going downhill fast
When approached by The Straits Times, he apologised and said he was unable to speak to the press.
At least three Singapore-registered cars and several motorbikes were seen at the hospital. The family members were also seen consoling Mr Rosli's oldest sister when she broke down.
The group later headed to Seremban Hospital, where a post-mortem on Mr Rosli's body was done.
One witness, 23-year-old Emera Hamid, a saleswoman at a sundry shop located adjacent to the crash site, described how the truck crashed into the Honda Stream. "Seconds before the incident, the truck was going downhill and it looked like the driver was speeding," she said.
"The lorry driver tried to run away after the accident, prompting passers-by to chase him.
"Some people even started throwing rocks in a bid to stop him. He then ran to a shop nearby but was thrown out by the owners, forcing him to run away."
SINGAPORE - The bodies of the family of four who died when a runaway tipper truck crushed the car they were driving in the Malaysian town of Port Dickson on Wednesday (Jan 3) returned to Singapore for a late-night burial on Thursday.
Hundreds of people gathered at the Muslim cemetery in Choa Chu Kang at 9.55pm on Thursday, when the convoy of three minivans from Malaysia entered the cemetery.
Sobs were heard as caskets carrying the remains of Mr Rosli Samad, 54, his wife Maimunah Sapari, 51, and two daughters Nur Amalina Rosli, 21, and Dayana Sarah Rosli, 18, were carried into the Masjid Pusara Aman mosque for prayers.
After prayers, they were buried side by side at the cemetery – together in death as they had been in life. The funerals went on past midnight.
They are survived by Mr Rosli and Madam Maimunah's two sons Muhammad Asyraf, 27, and Muhammad Hamka, 24, who did not go on the family trip.
"They were a very good, very close family... I've known Maimunah since we were kids, she was always happy-go-lucky," said a cousin of Madam Maimunah who would give his name only as Mr Ramlan.
The family was tight-knit, Madam Maimunah's brother Sarifudin Sapari, 52, told The Straits Times.
Ms Dayana was studying nursing at the Institute of Technical Education, while Ms Nur Amalina was about to begin studies in a private university, said Mr Sarifudin, who is deputy head of the National Environment Agency's north-west regional office.
"Both daughters were very filial and well liked by family members and peers," he added.
Ms Suhaila Jainudin, 20, a former classmate of Ms Nur Amalina's at Teck Whye Secondary, said: "Amalina was always adorable and funny in class... kind of a class clown."
Mr Azman Mohamed, a long-time friend and customer of Mr Rosli's, said he was shocked to hear of the tragedy.
The family of four was killed in a five-vehicle accident in Port Dickson on Jan 3. (From left) Ms Nur Amalina Rosli, 21, Mr Rosli Samad, 54, Madam Maimunah Sapari, 51 and Ms Dayana Sarah Rosli, 18. PHOTO: AZMAN MOHAMED
He visited Mr Rosli's motorcycle dealership, R S Bikes Centre, at 6pm on Wednesday to lubricate his bike chain, but found it closed.
After being unable to contact Mr Rosli, he called Mr Hamka, who assists in the business, and learnt about the accident.
"I heard people crying when he (Mr Hamka) answered the phone. I saw the news about it but I didn't know it was Rosli," said Mr Azman.
Mr Azman, a part-time security guard, said that he met Mr Rosli in 1992, when the latter was working at a workshop in Bukit Merah.
Mr Rosli, a skilled mechanic, later started his own dealership in Eunos, before moving to Kaki Bukit about eight years ago. Mr Rosli's initials form the name of the dealership, said Mr Azman, 55.
"He was friendly, always with a smile, and very knowledgeable - the moment you went into his workshop, he could spot what the problem with the bike was," he said.
"He was also very honest. If the brake pad was still in good condition, he would say 'don't change'. He would fix what needed to be fixed."
Mr Benjamin Oh, 35, another of Mr Rosli's clients, said that Mr Rosli was "warm and friendly... and had a strong following among the Harley and cruiser bike enthusiasts as he was one of the best mechanics for such bikes."
PORT DICKSON - Singaporean Nor Amalina Rosli was looking forward to attending classes with her peers at an institute of higher learning in the island republic.
The 20-year-old, who is the third of four siblings, had even paid the course fees for her UK-degree programme.
But a tragic accident ended all her plans. She died while on a family holiday here. Also killed in the fatal crash on Wednesday were her parents Rosli Samad, 53, and Maimunah Sapari, 50, and a younger sister, Dayana Sarah, 17.
The vehicle they were travelling in was crushed by a lorry along the Jalan Lukut-Seremban-Sepang T-junction. Two other cars and a motorcycle were also damaged during the 2.30pm incident.
Apparently, the driver lost control of the lorry while it was going downhill. He fled the scene and only surrendered to the police several hours later.
Nor Amalina’s uncle Jamil Sapari said the family was on a short holiday to Kuala Lumpur and Port Dickson and was supposed to return home yesterday.
Taken away: An officer escorting the lorry driver after police obtained a four-day remand order from the Port Dickson magistrate’s court.Photo: The Star/Asia News Network
“They left Singapore on Monday and we met up for lunch in Johor Baru before they drove to Kuala Lumpur.
“I came to know about the tragic accident after it was posted on social media,” he said, adding that the family often visited Kuala Lumpur and Port Dickson.
Jamil, 64, said the couple’s two other children could not join them for the outing.
“Earlier, a family member had informed me about an accident in Port Dickson involving a Singaporean family but I didn’t give it much thought.
“But later, when I had time to look at the video and photos, I was shocked to see the vehicle’s number plate,” he said, adding that the car belonged to one of Rosli’s brothers.
Jamil said together with the couple’s two sons and several family members, they would claim the family’s remains for burial in Singapore.
4 Singaporeans killed in Port Dickson accident: Hundreds gather for burial Open gallery
Earlier yesterday, police obtained a four-day remand order against the 54-year-old lorry driver to assist in investigations.
Port Dickson OCPD Supt Zainuddin Ahmad said initial investigations showed the suspect was not under the influence of alcohol.
“A urine test conducted on the suspect to check for drug abuse also came back negative,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
A new video of a traffic accident that killed four Singaporeans in Port Dickson has emerged.
The harrowing incident happened at a T-junction in Jalan Lukut Sepang on Wednesday (Jan 3), around 2.30pm, and involved five vehicles - a Singapore register Honda Stream, a tipper truck, a Mercedes-Benz SUV, a Perodua Myvi and a motorcycle.
The new video showed another perspective of the accident taken from behind the Honda Stream.
In the video, the tipper truck could be seen speeding through the T-junction and ploughing through the Honda.
During the time of the incident, the four victims were in the Honda.
Three passengers including Madam Maimunah Sapari, 51, Ms Nur Amalina Rosli, 21, and Ms Dayana Sarah Rosli, 18, died at the scene, while the driver, Mr Rosli Samad, 54, died while being conveyed to Seremban Hospital.
Another motorcycle rider was injured in the accident as well.
A police spokesman said that the 54-year-old lorry driver fled the scene on foot after the accident but subsequently turned himself in at the Lukut police station, at around 5.30pm.
4 Singaporeans killed in Port Dickson accident: Hundreds gather for burial Open gallery
The driver has been remanded as part of investigations into the accident, reports New Straits Times.
Magistrate Siti Khairiah Abd Razak has granted the remand order against the driver, which runs Thursday (Jan 4) to Sunday (Jan 7).
Port Dickson district police chief Superintendent Zainudin Ahmad added that the case will be investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act (APJ) 1987.
