Following a fatal accident between a tour van and a trailer lorry that resulted in the deaths of two tourists on Monday (March 11), the 29-year-old driver of the trailer lorry has been arrested for further investigation. Semporna OCPD Superintendent Mohd Farhan Abdullah stated that the case is being looked into under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
If found guilty, the local man could face a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 10 years in prison, along with a fine ranging from RM20,000 to RM50,000. Mohd Farhan urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the investigating officer or the Semporna police station.
Prior to the arrest, it was reported by the Fire and Rescue Department that a 60-year-old Singaporean tourist, Lee Siong Huat, and a 40-year-old Vietnam national, Ngo Trinh Buu Dung, lost their lives at the scene of the accident which occurred at Km 21, Jalan Semporna-Tawau. The four other passengers in the van and the van driver who were injured were promptly taken to the district hospital for treatment.
The police statement revealed that the tragic collision took place around 3:30pm and also involved another box truck. The incident was caused by the trailer lorry losing control and veering into the opposite lane, colliding with the oncoming tour van carrying five Singaporeans and one Vietnamese, ranging in age from 11 to 71.
As a result of the impact, debris from the collision struck the front windshield of the box truck trailing behind, causing the windshield to shatter. Fortunately, both the drivers of the trailer lorry and the box truck escaped unharmed,” Mohd Farhan added.
