Lorry going wrong way on 2nd Link Expressway hits S'pore Mercedes, car driver taken to hospital in JB

Aqil Hamzah
The Straits Times
Jan 4, 2023

The driver of a Singapore-registered car escaped serious injury after a crash on Tuesday with a lorry that was travelling against the flow of traffic on the Second Link Expressway in Malaysia.

The expressway is a 47km road in Johor that stretches from the Second Link bridge.

Police chief Rahmat Ariffin of the Iskandar Puteri district in Johor said on Tuesday that the car driver had minor injuries and was taken to Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Bahru.

He added that the 41-year-old lorry driver was arrested after he was found to have been driving under the influence of alcohol.

A video of the accident on Facebook page Singapore Incidents showed the lorry travelling on the rightmost lane of the expressway before it crashed into two cars.

The accident caused the doors on the right side of the Singapore-registered car to be completely ripped off.

Assistant Commissioner (AC) Rahmat said police were alerted at about 4.30pm to the accident, which happened on the side of the expressway going into Malaysia.

Preliminary investigations showed that the lorry driver was en route to Tanjung Pelepas port from Kulai, a town in Johor.

He was approaching the Gelang Patah Rest and Relaxation stop when he missed the turn to the port. He then went against traffic flow to try to get to the port.

AC Rahmat said the lorry collided with the Singapore-registered Mercedes-Benz E250 and a Nissan Almera.

The Mercedes-Benz driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The police did not disclose details about the Nissan driver.

Under Malaysia’s Road Transport Act, motorists found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and causing injuries could be jailed for not less than seven years and not more than 10 years. They could also be fined at least RM30,000 (S$9,200) and not more than RM50,000.

Mr Raphael Louis, managing director of Ray Louis Law Corp, told The Straits Times that motorists from Singapore driving in Malaysia should check their travel coverage and vehicle insurance.

Travel insurance generally covers medical costs, but may not cover pain and suffering, disabilities or loss of income arising from an accident.

Depending on the vehicle insurance coverage, said Mr Louis, the motorist may need a Malaysian lawyer if his insurer covers only claims against the other party, referred to as third-party claims.

Motorists in an accident should compile as much evidence as possible, including video footage from bystanders and vehicle dashcams, as well as eyewitness statements.

Mr Louis said motorists can contact local police and paramedics through the Malaysian Emergency Response System (Mers-999). As long as they have a working SIM card, they can dial 999. Alternatively, they can dial 112.

Generally, motorists will need a Malaysian lawyer if they intend to sue a Malaysian driver for damages, said Mr Louis.

Under certain circumstances, though, such as if a motorist has serious injuries that require treatment in Singapore, lawsuits can still be filed from here.

But the Malaysian insurer may want the case to be heard in Malaysia, which could lead to lengthy legal proceedings, added the lawyer.