IPOH, Jan 10 — Police have arrested a trailer driver in connection with a 10-vehicle pileup at KM307.9 of the North-South Expressway (northbound) near Gopeng last night.
Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the crash, which occurred at about 10.40pm yesterday, was due to the failure of the 36-year-old driver, who is from Bukit Mertajam, Penang, to put on the brakes as the trailer was taking a bend causing it to crash into the vehicles in front.
He said the weather then was fine, but the area was dark as there were no street lights.
“The trailer driver also tested negative for alcohol and drugs. The case is being investigated under Section 42 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1985,” he said in a statement today.
Mohd Yusri said the crash involved two trailer trucks and seven other vehicles, namely a Volkswagen, a BMW, a Toyota Yaris, a Perodua Alza, an Aruz, a Honda Civic and a Honda CRV.
A spokesman for the Gopeng Fire and Rescue Station said a team from the station, assisted by firemen from the Tapah Fire and Rescue Staton, rushed to the scene after receiving a distress call at about 11pm.
“Eight people were injured and sent to Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital for treatment, while seven others escaped unscathed,” he said in a statement.
— Bernama
