KUALA LUMPUR — A man dozed off behind the steering wheel for a fleeting second and now his wife and their two young children are dead.
The couple and their children, together with two relatives, were making a trip from their hometown in Pahang to Kedah to visit relatives for the festivities at about 6 a.m. Monday when tragedy struck.
The 33-year-old Perodua Kenari driver was said to have been lethargic after a long journey.
His wife had their one-year-old son with her in the front passenger seat while their three-year-old daughter sat in the back.
Hulu Selangor OCPD Supt. R. Supramaniam said the road was dark at the time when the driver apparently dozed off.
But that brief moment of lost concentration was enough for the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
The car reportedly skidded and spun on the road before it crashed into a divider at KM403.9 of the North-South Expressway near Lembah Beringin.
The driver’s wife and their daughter and son were killed on the spot from serious head and chest injuries.
The driver and the relatives who were injured in the accident were sent to hospital for treatment.
“I urge motorists using highways to always stop at a rest and recreation area if they are feeling tired.
“Please think of your family when driving so that you can make it safely to your destination,” said Supt. Supramaniam.
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