Man drives against traffic damaged five cars

Several drivers were injured when a volkswagen car driven against the traffic flow smashed into their vehicles at KM116 and KM 123.4 northbound of the North-South Expressway, at Bertam here earlier this morning.

In the 1.30am incident, the driver of the Volkswagen car that was driven against traffic flow fractured his hands while the other drivers sustained minor injuries and received treatment at the Kepala Batas Hospital (HKB).

However, a motorcyclist, Naim Halidan, 30, from the opposite lane, died after he fell into the monsoon drain in the middle of the divider while trying to cross the highway to provide assistance to the victims.

Seberang Perai Utara district police chief ACP Azmi Adam said the accident happened when the Volkswagen driver who was driving from Butterworth to Sungai Petani, Kedah, made a sudden U-turn on the same route at KM 116 of the North-South Expressway and smashed into three vehicles.

"However, the 31-year-old driver did not stop and continued to drive before his car smashed into two other vehicles at KM123.4," he said when contacted here today.

Azmi said all the vehicles involved in the accident were badly damaged and it was believed that the suspect was speeding during the incident.

He said the body of a man who had fallen into the drain had also been sent to HKB for a post-mortem.

"The case is being investigated under Section 43 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless or dangerous driving," he said.

The was the second accident involving vehicles driven against the traffic flow in Penang.

In the first incident, on March 14, a factory technician was killed after the Perodua Kelisa car he was traveling in collided with a Proton Gen-2 car that was driven against the traffic from Sungai Dua to Butterworth, in Permatang Pauh.

- BERNAMA