Man dies in five-vehicle crash near Slim River

IPOH: A man was killed in an accident involving three trailers and two other vehicles, at KM382.3 of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) southbound, near here early yesterday morning.

A Perak Fire and Rescue Department spokesperson said that the department received a call about 1am, and firefighters from the Slim River fire station were dispatched to the scene.

“Upon arrival at the location, it was found that there had been an accident involving three trailers laden with steel bars, a Nissan X-trail and a Proton Iris. A 44-year-old man was trapped and confirmed dead by Ministry of Health personnel, who were also rushed to the scene.

“The trapped victim was removed with special equipment, assisted by two cranes. The body was then handed over to the police for further action,” he said.

According to PLUS on its Twitter account, the accident caused a traffic crawl for four kilometres, as all lanes were blocked and work to remove vehicles involved in the accident was being carried out.

Meanwhile, Muallim district police chief Supt Mohd Hasni Mohd Nasir said the investigation found the accident occurred when the driver of a trailer travelling from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur lost control of his vehicle and caused a chainreaction accident.

He said the driver of the trailer, identified as Mohd Khairuddin Md Taharim, 44, from Bukit Beruntung, Selangor, died at the scene.

“One lane and another contraflow lane have been opened at 7.37am, and all trailers and vehicles involved have been removed,” he said in a statement.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.