Taking illegal U-turn on highway a costly mistake for three friends

[General Veers]

Wednesday December 8, 2010

Taking illegal U-turn on highway a costly mistake for three friends

By RASHITHA A. HAMID
[email protected]

PETALING JAYA: Three friends who were on their way home after attending a reunion gathering with classmates died in a tragic accident.

The three, who had just sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia, were Fong Mun Fai, 18, Liew Yun Fen , 17, and Choong Jin Rong , also 17.

Choong, who was driving a Perodua Kancil in the middle lane, apparently tried to make an illegal U-turn at Km27.3 of the Federal Highway in the 3.30am incident yesterday.

Tragic end: The Perodua Kancil after the fatal accident on the Federal Highway Tuesday morning.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed said the Kancil was rammed by a Proton Waja, which was travelling on the fast lane. He said Choong and Liew died at the scene while Fong succumbed to injuries at 9am at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). The Proton Waja’s driver, Sukvinderjit Singh, 27, also suffered serious injuries and has been admitted to the UMMC Intensive Care Unit.

Young victims: Liew (left) and Choong

ACP Arjunaidi said Choong was thrown out of the vehicle and died at the scene while Liew was flung out to an adjacent lane and was hit by a lorry.
Initial investigations revealed that the three friends were on their way back to Seri Kembangan.

The case is being investigated under Section 41A of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless driving. In an unrelated incident, a police constable suffered a broken leg after he was rammed by a car during crime prevention rounds early yesterday morning.

ACP Arjunaidi said Rustamat Awang, 28, who is attached to the Damansara police station, is currently being treated at the Sungai Buloh Hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.

 

[General Veers]

17-year-olds called home to say they would be late


Wednesday December 8, 2010

17-year-olds called home to say they would be late

PETALING JAYA: One of the three friends killed in the accident on KM27.3 of the Federal Highway had just obtained his driving licence a month ago. Choong Boon Seng said his son Jin Rong, 17, had been driving since then.

“This is his first road accident and it has claimed his life,” he said at the University Malaya Medical Centre mortuary yesterday. “I called him at midnight and he told me that he would be back a little late as he was meeting up with his friends.”

Jin Rong’s friend Liew Yun Fen, also 17, was said to have left her Seri Kembangan home at about 11pm after informing her parents. Her father, identified only as Liew, said Yun Fen joined her friends in Klang for a drink. “She rang me at about 1am informing me that she would be back late,” he said.

The uncle of the third victim – Fong Mun Fai – said the 18-year-old left his house at about 11am on Monday. He did not alert the family about where he was going. “He only called his mother about an hour before the accident saying that he would return home late,” he said.

 

[Space Invaders]

U-turn only allowed for authorities


Thursday December 9, 2010

U-turn only allowed for authorities

PETALING JAYA: The “U-turn” along the Federal Highway, where three friends were killed in an accident on Tuesday, is meant only for the use of police patrol cars, ambulances and fire engines during emergencies.

Public Works Department public relations officer Saipul Anwar Mohd Raji said that although no specific sign had been put up for this, there was a no-entry sign there.

He said that in view of the number of accident cases as a result of motorists misusing the U-turn, the department was looking into options to solve the problem.

Saipul said the department was considering placing guard railing that could be removed by authorities during emergencies to avoid road users from making illegal U-turns there.

“But we do not want to make it inconvenient for the police, ambulances and fire engines,” he told The Star here yesterday. Saipul promised to “solve the problem as soon as possible”.

Selangor traffic chief Supt Che Hussein Omar said police patrol cars would not use the U-turn there although it was meant for them because it was very dangerous.

“It is very dangerous to make a U-turn there, regardless of the hour in view of the high number of cars on the highway,” he said.

Supt Che Hussein said since early this year, nine road tragedies were reported along Selangor’s stretch of the Federal Highway, some of them fatal.

“Road users must be more careful and should not speed at any time of the day, even during late nights when there are not many cars. “Anything can happen at any time,” he said.

In the 3.30am accident on Tuesday, Fong Mun Fai, 18, Liew Yun Fen and Choong Jin Rong, both 17, were killed when the Perodua Kancil they were travelling in was involved in a collision with a car when Choong tried to make an illegal U-turn at the spot.