Motorcyclist dies in second container lorry accident in Malaysia in a week

A three-vehicle accident involving a container lorry in Johor, Malaysia resulted in the death of a motorcyclist and caused two other motorists to be severely injured on Friday (Nov 15).

Renggam Fire and Rescue said that they received a call about an accident that took place along the North-South Expressway at 7.43am, and arrived at the scene at about 8.35am.

A 33-year-old motorcyclist suffered serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at scene. A married couple travelling in a car sustained severe injuries from the crash.

Of the injured, a 25-year-old man driving the car had to be rescued using special equipment, while his 26-year-old wife was taken to the hospital by members of the public.

The couple were travelling with their one-year-old child.

While the man had injuries on his leg and body and his wife had head injuries, their baby was unharmed, The Star reported.

According to Malaysian media, the 40-year-old lorry driver was uninjured and was detained by the police after the accident. 

The lorry driver had lost control of the wheels and crashed into the road divider, entering the opposite lane, said Kluang deputy police chief superintendent Nik Mohd Azmi Husin in a press release.

The container then flipped over, scraping the tarmac of the road.

With no time to react, the motorcyclist crashed into the container while the car driver hit the read end of the lorry.

Photographs and videos on social media showed the aftermath of the accident — the head of the lorry pressed against the roadside barricade, while the container laid on its side, obstructing all traffic lanes.

The front of a white car was crushed, and a wrecked motorcycle laid on its side.

This is the second report of a container lorry accident this week, the first being an accident in Penang on Wednesday, which killed a 21-year-old woman and injured a 25-year-old man.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com