Singaporean man dies in Johor car accident

21-year-old was driving rented car with a passenger when it hit rear of lorry on highway

(Clockwise from left) The impact of Saturday's crash on the North-South Expressway sent both the car and lorry veering off the road. Mr Ng Kai Jie died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, while his passenger and the lorry driver had m
The impact of Saturday's crash on the North-South Expressway sent both the car and lorry veering off the road. Mr Ng Kai Jie died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, while his passenger and the lorry driver had minor injuries. He and his friend were on the first day of what was to be a three-day trip to Malacca. PHOTO: MALAYSIAN POLICE
(Clockwise from left) The impact of Saturday's crash on the North-South Expressway sent both the car and lorry veering off the road. Mr Ng Kai Jie died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, while his passenger and the lorry driver had m
The impact of Saturday's crash on the North-South Expressway sent both the car and lorry veering off the road. Mr Ng Kai Jie died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, while his passenger and the lorry driver had minor injuries. He and his friend were on the first day of what was to be a three-day trip to Malacca. PHOTO: MALAYSIAN POLICE
(Clockwise from left) The impact of Saturday's crash on the North-South Expressway sent both the car and lorry veering off the road. Mr Ng Kai Jie died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, while his passenger and the lorry driver had m
The impact of Saturday's crash on the North-South Expressway sent both the car and lorry veering off the road. Mr Ng Kai Jie died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, while his passenger and the lorry driver had minor injuries. He and his friend were on the first day of what was to be a three-day trip to Malacca. PHOTO: MALAYSIAN POLICE

KUALA LUMPUR • A Singaporean man has died after the car he was driving crashed into the back of a lorry in the Malaysian state of Johor on Saturday afternoon, Malaysian police told The Straits Times.

Mr Ng Kai Jie, 21, was driving to Malacca with a passenger when their rented Proton Inspira hit the rear-left side of the lorry, which had been travelling in the same direction as their car, said the Batu Pahat district police. The impact of the crash sent both vehicles veering off the road.

According to district police chief Abdul Wahid Musa, Mr Ng died on the spot after suffering critical head injuries, as the impact of the crash was on the driver's side of the car.

The accident took place on the section of the North-South Expressway between Yong Peng and Pagoh at about 5.30pm.

The lorry driver, 43-year-old Malaysian Baharom Ibrahim, suffered minor injuries, as did the car passenger Ngian Zhi How, a 23-year-old Singaporean.

Mr Ng's body was taken to Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital for a post-mortem. It was expected to be brought back to Singapore yesterday afternoon.

Mr Ngian and Mr Baharom were also taken to the same hospital to receive treatment.

Mr Ng was reported by Malaysia's China Press to be an only son.

His parents and two others went to the Malaysian hospital to identify and claim his body, but were too distraught to be interviewed.

The national serviceman was reportedly a photography enthusiast, with his Facebook profile page carrying a few photographs of him using a DSLR camera.

He was on the first day of what was to be a three-day trip to Malacca with Mr Ngian, according to Malaysia's Sin Chew Daily newspaper.

The two friends had planned to return to Singapore today.

Photos from the Malaysian police showed Mr Ng in the car after the crash, while a man clad in black clothes, believed to be Mr Ngian, was seen lying on the grass verge next to the car.

Mr Ngian was reportedly taking a nap when the accident happened, and did not know how the car crashed.

He reportedly had to be helped out of the vehicle by bystanders, after which he collapsed on the grass verge.

The police told Shin Min Daily News that they are investigating the accident.

Preliminary investigations have shown that the weather was good and traffic was heavy at the time of the crash.

Mr Abdul Wahid added that there were no track marks indicating that emergency braking had occurred.

• Additional reporting by Shannon Teoh

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 12, 2016, with the headline Singaporean man dies in Johor car accident. Subscribe