7 cops escorting murder suspects injured in crash
KLUANG: Seven policemen escorting four murder suspects to a court trial were injured when the two police vehicles they were in were involved in a road accident at Km123.4 of the North-South Expressway near Batu Pahat yesterday.
Except for one policeman who suffered a broken leg, the rest including the four suspects sustained light injuries in the 8.40am accident that involved a police patrol car and a police van.
It is learnt that the suspects were being taken to the Muar High Court to attend a trial when the driver of the police patrol car escorting the van lost control of the vehicle when he tried to avoid a four-wheel drive pick-up truck ahead.
The van then crashed into the patrol car before both vehicles plunged into a ravine.
The pick-up truck was damaged but the driver escaped injuries.
The police van driver was trapped in the vehicle but was later freed by firemen who arrived at the scene within minutes.
Kluang police chief ACP Mohamad Laham said all four suspects and the policemen involved in the accident were later treated for their injuries at the Batu Pahat hospital and Kluang hospital. “It was raining heavily at the time of the accident.” Mohamad Laham said the suspects had been on trial for murder for over three days but following the accident, the High Court postponed the case to another date. – by Charles Ramendran