Family of three killed in highway crash

ALOR GAJAH: A couple and their infant son were killed when the car they were travelling in crashed into a stationary lorry at KM216 on the north-bound side of the North-South Highway here today.

Alor Gajah district police chief Supt Arshad Abu identified the dead as Muhammad Nazirul Syafiq Azmi, his wife Zubaidah Abd Rajak, both 28, and their only child, one-year-old Muhammad Rizqi, and the lorry driver as Mohamad Asri Abdul Razak, 43.

"Preliminary investigations at the scene show that Mohamad Asri had parked the lorry on the right-most lane and was placing cones before doing repair works on the divider when the car (Honda Jazz) driven by Muhammad Nazirul Syafiq crashed into the back of the lorry.

"The three victims died on the spot of serious head injuries while the lorry driver has been arrested to help in investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987," he said.

The couple, who were nurses, were on their way from Johor Bahru to Port Dickson for a holiday.

Alor Gajah Fire and Rescue Department operations commander Muhamad Ezanee Hamat said they received an emergency call at 11.02 am and dispatched 21 personnel from Alor Gajah, Ayer Keroh and Tampin to the scene.

"The lorry driver did not suffer any injury. The three bodies were sent to Hospital Alor Gajah for a post-mortem," he said in a statement.

-- BERNAMA