PETALING JAYA, May 6 — In yet another blatant disregard for safety, a nine-month-old baby tragically died after she was flung out of her family car in an accident at KM22 of the North-South Expressway near Senai at 6am yesterday.
The baby, who was seated on her mother’s lap in the front passenger seat, died at the scene.
The incident comes after a seven-month-old baby and her parents were flung out of their vehicle in a fatal crash at the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (Duke) last Saturday.
It remains unclear if the baby, Nur Firuza Annisa Fairuz, was strapped into a child safety seat during the incident which was believed to have been caused by six speeding Perodua Myvi cars.
In yesterday’s incident, the Proton Exora driven by the baby’s father had brushed against the rear of a lorry before it skidded and crashed into the side railing. The vehicle flipped several times, throwing the baby out of the car.
A motorcyclist, who tried to avoid the vehicle, also skidded.
“The girl’s parents, lorry driver and motorcyclist sustained minor injuries,” said Kulaijaya police chief Supt Razak Md Said.
He did not disclose the identity of the victims. The baby’s body was taken to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru for post-mortem.
The incident came barely 24 hours after authorities vowed to step up action against reckless road users.
About three hours before the Senai accident, a Chinese national escaped death after his Maserati Quattroporte crashed into the side railings along the SPRINT Highway, before it burst into flames and plunged to a road below.
A police source said investigations were under way to determine if the driver was speeding or if he was driving under the influence.
“Judging from the way the accident happened, there is a high chance the driver was speeding,” he said.
“Luckily the car did not land on passing vehicles below or the outcome would have been more tragic.”
Petaling Jaya police chief ACP Azmi Abu Kassim said the victim, Chen Jianshi, an instructor for Grandpine CapitalSdn Bhd, was driving towards Bandar Utama on the rightmost lane of the expressway when he lost control of the RM1 million vehicle. He crashed into the side railing on the right before losing control and slamming into the railing on the left.
“The driver escaped through the rear window after he failed to open the front door. Right after he got out, the car burst into flames and fell.”
Public outrage against reckless motorists continue following Saturday’s incident which saw the death of real estate agent Fairuz Nizam Husain 35, his wife, homemaker Nova Safitri Azahari, 27 and Nur Firuza.
The trio were flung out of their vehicle after a Myvi crashed into their Pajero. Fairuz died at the scene and Nova and Nur Firuza died at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital hours later.
Police are investigating if the accident was caused by the other Myvi cars that were allegedly racing.
Following the fatal accident, deputy transport minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi called for the Road Transport Department to step up enforcement, especially on weekends, against reckless motorists.
He also instructed the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) to determine the cause of the accident.
Federal traffic police want more closed-circuit television systems and Automated Enforcement System cameras along expressways to help reduce accidents.
Bukit Aman traffic police chief Datuk Mohd Fuad Abdul Latiff also reminded car enthusiasts to adhere to rules when taking part in convoys.
He said police will consider tightening rules and increasing penalties for car and motorcycle clubs that flout the law.
