Malaysian police yesterday obtained a four-day remand order against the driver of a tipper truck that crashed into the car of a Singaporean family in the town of Port Dickson, killing all four of them.
Three hearses containing the four bodies left Port Dickson Hospital at around 6pm yesterday for Singapore. They were escorted by Port Dickson police to the Seremban-Johor highway as a gesture of goodwill, said the town's police chief Zainudin Ahmad.
The remains of the family were buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery yesterday evening.
The 54-year-old truck driver, clad in standard lock-up attire, was taken to the Port Dickson Magistrate's Court court at 8.35am for the application of the remand extension to assist with the investigation, Malaysian media reports said.
The truck crashed into the family's multi-purpose vehicle, a Honda Stream, and three other vehicles at around 2.30pm at a T-junction in Jalan Lukut Sepang on Wednesday.
A preliminary police probe has found that the truck driver was going downhill when he apparently lost control of the vehicle. A video of the crash shows the truck speeding through the intersection before colliding into the vehicles.
Mr Rosli Samad, 54, who was driving the Honda Stream, died en route to Seremban Hospital.
The passengers - his wife, Madam Maimunah Sapari, 51, and his two daughters, Ms Nur Amalina Rosli, 21, and Ms Dayana Sarah Rosli, 18 - died at the scene and were taken to Port Dickson Hospital. They were believed to have been travelling on holiday.
The Straits Times understands that Mr Rosli was the owner of R S Bikes Centre, a motorcycle dealership in Kaki Bukit. His two older sons - one of whom helps him manage the firm - did not go on the trip.
Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported that the eldest son did not go on the trip because his wife was about to give birth, while the second son had stayed behind to look after the motorcycle business.
Mr Rosli's brother, who lives in Johor, arrived on Wednesday night to identify the bodies.
Mr Rosli's eldest son, along with other members of the family, was at the Port Dickson Hospital yesterday morning. He was teary-eyed and distraught as he was comforted by family members.
Witness: Truck was going downhill fast
When approached by The Straits Times, he apologised and said he was unable to speak to the press.
At least three Singapore-registered cars and several motorbikes were seen at the hospital. The family members were also seen consoling Mr Rosli's oldest sister when she broke down.
The group later headed to Seremban Hospital, where a post-mortem on Mr Rosli's body was done.
One witness, 23-year-old Emera Hamid, a saleswoman at a sundry shop located adjacent to the crash site, described how the truck crashed into the Honda Stream. "Seconds before the incident, the truck was going downhill and it looked like the driver was speeding," she said.
"The lorry driver tried to run away after the accident, prompting passers-by to chase him.
"Some people even started throwing rocks in a bid to stop him. He then ran to a shop nearby but was thrown out by the owners, forcing him to run away."
