Bus crash: Driver had 13 outstanding summonses

The Star Online - 26 January 2008

By CLARA CHOOI

IPOH: The driver of a double-decker express bus that saw three of its passengers killed in a crash near Slim River on Friday had 13 outstanding police summonses issued against him.

Records in www.myeg.com.my revealed that Ruslim Isa, 43, who was sent to the Teluk Intan Hospital for a broken right leg after the 5.55pm accident, had seven summonses issued against him for speeding, five for illegal overtaking and one for not using an overhead bridge.

The summonses, amounting to RM2,660, dated as far back as 2000.

The accident occurred at KM382 of the highway between Slim River and Behrang during a downpour.

Slim River deputy OCPD Deputy Supt Adzhar Othman said that blood samples taken from Ruslim would be sent to the Chemistry Department, while the remains of the bus would also be sent to Puspakom for analysis on Monday.

"At this point, we cannot yet ascertain the cause of the accident, whether or not it is due to human or technical error.

"Investigations are still ongoing," he said.

The crash, which had initially killed two passengers - Mohd Zailani Mustafa, 23, of Sungai Nibong, Bayan Lepas, Penang, and Lee Nian Ning, 21, of Taman Gelugor, Penang - claimed its third victim on Saturday.

Pang Poon Eng, 20, from Gombak, Batu Caves in Selangor, died at about 1.30am at the Ipoh Hospital here.

Nine other passengers of the Penang-Kuala Lumpur bound Konsortium bus were warded at the Slim River Hospital and the Ipoh Hospital for critical injuries, whilst the others received outpatient treatment.

The bus, which departed from Penang at 2.20pm on Friday, was carrying 39 people.