Singaporean man was the only fatality in accident involving 3 vehicles on Malaysian highway
A 26-year-old Singaporean man died on 19 Sept when he was involved in an accident involving three vehicles on a Malaysian highway.
Mr Chua Bing Xuan, who had marked his birthday a week earlier, was a passenger in a car with his friends. They had gone to Desaru to celebrate his recent completion of national service (NS), his brother said.
Source: @chuatian on TikTok
3 vehicles & 8 people involved in accident on Malaysian highway
The fatal accident took place at KM66.6 of the Senai-Desaru Expressway, according to a statement from Kota Tinggi district police chief Yusof bin Haji Othman posted on Facebook.
At about 11.50am on 19 Sept, the police were alerted that three vehicles had been involved:
- a Perodua Myvi driven by a 21-year-old man, with four passengers
- a Proton Exora driven by a 56-year-old man, with one passenger
- a Mazda CX-30 driven by a 30-year-old man
A photo that the police shared showed that the Perodua Myvi had flipped upside down in the crash. Injured people lay on a grass verge next to the road.
Source: Polis Daerah Kota Tinggi on Facebook
The Proton Exora did not flip over, but was hit in front and at the rear, with its windscreen cracked.
Source: China Press
All suffered serious injuries except Mazda driver
The drivers and passengers of both the Perodua Myvi and Proton Exora suffered serious injuries in the accident and were sent to various hospitals.
The Mazda driver was not injured. A video clip showed that the car had landed on a grass verge beside the highway.
Source: China Press
The case is being investigated for the offence of careless and inconsiderate driving under Section 43(1) of Malaysia’s Road Transport Act 1987.
Car that Singaporean was in may have overtaken another vehicle before accident
In an update to the media, Superintendent Yusof said a passenger in the Perodua Myvi had died and identified him as Mr Chua, reported The New Straits Times (NST).
However, the deceased was not revealed to be a Singaporean.
The police chief said the Perodua Myvi was believed to have overtaken another vehicle before colliding with the Proton Exora, which was travelling in the opposite direction.
The Mazda then crashed into the rear of the Proton Exora.
Thus, the case is also being investigated for the offence of causing death by driving recklessly, at a dangerous speed, or in a manner dangerous to the public, under Section 41(1) of Malaysia’s Road Transport Act 1987.
Deceased Singaporean had just completed NS & celebrated birthday
In a series of TikTok posts on Monday (28 Sept) and Tuesday (29 Sept), a user who identified himself as Mr Chua’s older brother noted that the accident was reported in the Malaysian media but did not mention that the deceased was a Singaporean.
Mr Chua Bing Tian, 30, revealed that his brother had just completed NS and was “supposed to be starting the next chapter of his life”.
Source: @chuatian on TikTok
On 12 Sept, a week before the accident, the family had also celebrated his birthday.
Source: @chuatian on TikTok
Family shocked to hear the bad news
As Bing Tian expected to have many more years with his brother, he and his parents were in a state of shock after receiving news of his death on the day of the accident.
He told 8world News that a funeral director arrived at their home at about 4pm to break the news, and they rushed to Johor Bahru to identify the body and file a report with the Malaysian police.
His brother had gone to Desaru with friends to celebrate the completion of his NS and the group was on their way back to Singapore when they met with the accident, he said.
Bing Xuan was seated in the front passenger seat.
His body was brought back to Singapore on 20 Sept.
Mother ‘cries every day’
In his post, Bing Tian said his mother “cries every day” thinking about Bing Xuan, “the son she raised from a baby… and expected to see grow older”.
She still finds it difficult to accept his death, he added, revealing that his brother was busy looking for a job and attending interviews only for his life to come to a sudden end before he could truly step into the workforce.
His belongings were returned to the family on Monday, he noted, adding:
Seeing his bag come home without him was especially difficult for my mum… No parent ever expects to receive their child’s belongings back like this.
Army buddies say he was well-liked by everyone
At his wake, several people who knew Bing Xuan from the army came forward to share stories with the family about how he was well-liked by everyone and trusted by his superiors, especially when it came to driving.
Source: @chuatian on TikTok
It was “almost overwhelming” for the family to hear these stories, his brother said, adding:
Hearing his army friends and seniors speak about him now made us realise how trusted, well liked, and appreciated he really was by the people around him.
The stories also allowed them to discover parts of his life that they never got to see, and helped them understand a little more about what he was like outside the home.
Driver in a coma for days, family chooses to be forgiving
As for Bing Xuan’s 21-year-old friend who was driving the car, he was seriously injured and in a coma for days.
The driver’s father subsequently got in touch with the Chua family, Bing Tian said.
As the accident is still under investigation, the family would prefer not to speculate or pin the blame and has decided to be forgiving, he added.
Also read: 20-year-old S’porean motorcyclist dies after accident with lorry along M’sian highway
20-year-old S’porean motorcyclist dies after accident with lorry along M’sian highway
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Featured image adapted from @chuatian on TikTok and Polis Daerah Kota Tinggi on Facebook.
