Six passengers were injured after an express bus collided with a trailer along the North-South Expressway early today.
Bandar Baharu district police chief Superintendent Mohamad Sani Mat Ali said police received information about the accident from the operations room at about 1.09am.
He said preliminary investigations found that the express bus was travelling from Alor Setar towards Kuala Lumpur with nine passengers on board when it crashed into the rear of a trailer.
The trailer, which was carrying a load of iron pipes, was travelling from Butterworth, Penang, towards Shah Alam, Selangor, when the collision occurred at KM169.2 of the expressway.
“Initial investigations found that the bus driver is believed to have lost control of the vehicle before hitting the rear of the trailer,” he said when contacted today.
He said the bus’s second driver sustained injuries to his nose and was receiving treatment at Hospital Seberang Jaya, Penang, while the main driver was unhurt.
Six passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to Hospital Sungai Bakap, Penang, for treatment, while the remaining three passengers escaped injury.
Mohamad Sani said preliminary urine screenings conducted on both the trailer and express bus drivers tested negative for drugs.
The case is being investigated under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Police have urged anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward and assist investigations by contacting the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division at the Bandar Baharu district police headquarters or investigating officer Inspector Mohamad Aizzat Omar at 012-2461813.
Motorists were also reminded to exercise caution, comply with traffic laws and observe road signs, particularly when travelling on highways.
