Any motorist should know that when you see an ambulance on the road, you should give way to it. However, a driver in Malaysia failed to give way to an ambulance for almost one minute, according to video footage.
The ambulance was carrying a man who had suffered a stroke and later passed away.
Source: Jerry Rentap on Facebook
The driver’s family later apologised to the widow, saying he was hearing-impaired and may not have heard the ambulance siren.
The incident went viral when ambulance driver Jerry Rentap posted dashcam footage on Facebook.
The one-minute video showed a four-wheel-drive vehicle in front of the dashcam vehicle — purportedly the ambulance in question — on a narrow two-lane road.
Though the ambulance’s siren was blaring and the driver audibly honked repeatedly, the vehicle in front failed to move out of the way.
Source: Jerry Rentap on Facebook
After what seemed like an eternity, the vehicle finally switched to the left lane, allowing the ambulance to overtake it.
Mr Rentap shared details of the video, which showed that the incident occurred on a road in Sarawak at 6.33am on 5 Jan.
Source: Jerry Rentap on Facebook
His video has received more than 419,000 views and 551 comments, with netizens expressing outrage at the driver for not giving way.
The video was shared on the same day by Ms Annie Andrew, who said her husband was in that ambulance.
The patient, Iban singer Morgan Alban, suffered a stroke at home that morning, reported Berita Harian.
Paramedics were attempting to revive the 41-year-old via cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the ambulance at the time of the incident.
Sadly, Mr Alban was pronounced dead before they could reach the hospital.
Source: Annie Andrew on Facebook
In her post, Ms Andrew said she would “always remember” the licence plate number of the vehicle that didn’t give way.
In a subsequent Facebook post on Saturday (6 Jan), Ms Andrew said a family member of the male driver had reached out to her and apologised.
The family member explained that the driver suffered from chronic hearing problems as diagnosed by a doctor in 2017.
Source: Annie Andrew on Facebook
Therefore, he failed to give way as he probably couldn’t hear the ambulance.
Though she accepted the apology, Ms Andrew advised the family not to allow the man to drive, or at least to get him to wear a hearing aid when he drives.
This is to prevent similar incidents from happening in future.
While a netizen has said that the delay caused was less than a minute and wouldn’t have made a difference as they were far away from the hospital, she countered that every moment was precious.
Whether his actions were intentional or not, the driver who failed to give way has been charged.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Saturday (6 Jan), the local police said their Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division took action to trace the vehicle and its driver after they saw the footage last Friday afternoon.
They have since identified the driver and charged him for the offence of not giving way to an ambulance.
The police also reminded all road users to follow traffic regulations, including giving way when warned of the presence of ambulances, fire engines or police vehicles.
As for the deceased, he was laid to rest at a cemetery in the town of Simanggang on Monday (8 Jan).
Source: Annie Andrew on Facebook
In a Facebook post today, his grieving widow said her heart was broken at having to say farewell after 12 years of marriage.
The couple have two young children who, at a year old and two years old, are too young to remember their time with their father, but will never see him again, she said.
Also read: PM Anwar’s Traffic Convoy Gives Way To Ambulance On Highway, Praised For Being Considerate
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Featured image adapted from Jerry Rentap on Facebook and Annie Andrew on Facebook.
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