A 19-year-old female driver who drove against traffic along the North-South Expressway (NSE) after the Sungai Dua toll has caused the death of a man. The tragic event took place at 7:50am today (Tuesday, 14th March).
According to NST, 6 vehicles were involved in the incident and the deceased has been identified as 26-year-old Mohamad Fandi Rosli. It was reported that Fandi, who died on the spot, was driving a Perodua Kelisa when the accident occurred. He had just finished his overnight shift and was travelling back to his home in Sungai Petani.
Seberang Prai Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Nik Ros Azhan said that the driver, who was driving a blue Proton Gen 2 at the time, was detained to assist investigations, adding that she tested positive for methamphetamine (meth).
Moreover, police also said that she was believed to be driving more than 110kph along the highway. She and a few other motorists are currently receiving treatment at the Seberang Jaya Hospital. NST also pointed out that she was earlier involved in another accident with an MPV at the Sungai Dua toll.
Meanwhile, a video showing the teen driving against traffic has been getting a lot of attention on social media. Watch:
Last month, a 23-year-old BMW driver drove against traffic along Jalan Tun Razak, killing a university student. Apparently, the driver entered the opposing carriageway from the KLCC tunnel and was unable to re-enter the right lane. The case has been classified as reckless driving.
UPDATE (16th March, 1:35pm):
In the latest news update, an official from the Penang Welfare Department confirmed that the 19-year-old female driver, Cindy Ng, who crashed into 9 cars while driving against traffic on the North-South Expressway, carries a OKU (disabled) card.
According to the Malaysian Welfare Department, an OKU card is an identification document issued to people with disabilities who are registered with the Department to facilitate them and help them deal with the parties concerned.
However, an OKU does not mean that the said person is physically disabled as there are various definitions and types of disabilities. The Malaysian classifies anyone who has “long term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments may hinder their full and effective participation in society” as an OKU.
A scanned photo of Cindy Ng’s card classified her as suffering from a “learning disorder” disability. “Doctors recommended her to go through a special education programme when she was in Form One,” FMT quoted a Penang Welfare Department officer as saying.
Meanwhile, it was initially reported that the police found methamphetamine in her urine sample but as it turns out, it was not meth. It was amphetamine. Amphetamine is a stimulant that is used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), narcolepsy, and obesity. However, there has been cases of amphetamine abuse for recreational use.
Cindy Ng have been put on remand for 4 days until Saturday (18th March 2017) to facilitate investigations. She will likely be charged sometime this week.
Sources: NST, FMT (1), FMT (2), Malaysian Welfare Department, The Star Online / Featured image: NST.
