PORT DICKSON (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A 55-year-old lorry driver was sentenced to five years' jail for reckless driving and causing the deaths of four members of a Singaporean family in January last year.

Magistrate Siti Khairiah Abdul Razak also ordered P. Mani to pay a RM40,000 (S$13,260) fine or face four years in jail in default.

The accused was charged with causing the deaths of Rosli Samad, 53, Maimunah Sapari, 50, and their two children, Nur Amalina, 20, and Dayana Sarah, 17.

He allegedly committed the offences at the Jalan Sepang-Lukut traffic light junction at 2.30pm on Jan 3, 2018.

He had pleaded not guilty to the charges in March last year.

Siti Khairiah ordered that he be jailed for five years and fined RM10,000 or 12 months' jail in default for each offence.

However, the jail sentences are to run concurrently.

Mani was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 which provides a jail sentence of between two and 10 years and a fine of between RM5,000 and RM20,000 for each charge.

Based on the facts of the case, the family was on their way to Port Dickson for a holiday and passing through Lukut when the tragedy struck.

They were waiting at the traffic light junction and were about to move towards Port Dickson when a runaway lorry coming from the direction of Sepang crushed their multipurpose vehicle.

A crane also had to be used to lift the lorry from the crushed MPV.

Siti Khairiah also ordered Mani's driving licence to be suspended for three years.

A. Ashwini prosecuted while the accused was represented by Kasthuri Kannan.

The defence will be appealing against the decision.