Malaysia toll crash: Baby was not in child seat, says transport minister Loke
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Besides the lorry, three other vehicles were involved in the accident: a four-wheel drive, a car and a sport utility vehicle.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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GOMBAK - The toddler who died in a multiple-vehicle crash at the Bukit Kajang toll plaza on Sept 27 was not in a child safety seat, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said preliminary findings by the police showed that the baby was thrown out of the vehicle upon impact when a lorry crashed into three other vehicles.
Stating that it was not his intention to blame the victim’s parents, Mr Loke said the incident underscored the importance of child seats during car rides.
“This is a reminder to all. When the Transport Ministry mandates or encourages the use of child seats, many complain.
“But this incident proves their importance. The child was thrown out of the vehicle and became trapped underneath another vehicle,” he said on Sept 29.
He also said footage of the crash indicated that the lorry’s brakes were not working.
“But I’ll leave it to the police to conclude their investigation,” he added.
According to Kajang police, the lorry driver claimed that he jumped out of his vehicle after experiencing brake problems.
The lorry then crashed into three other vehicles heading towards the toll plaza.
As a result of the collision, the victim was confirmed dead at the scene, while seven others were injured and treated at Hospital Kajang, Hospital Serdang and KPJ Kajang. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
