The bus driver involved in the tragic crash that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students has come forward to apologise and share his version of what happened.
The 39-year-old who’s been driving buses since 2016 claimed the bus was fine until it reached the elephant crossing bridge in Gerik, when the brakes suddenly gave out. He also denied allegations that he was speeding, saying he was actually swerving to avoid crashing into other vehicles.
“The driver stopped to check the brakes”
A survivor of the tragic crash on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Perak, shared that the bus driver had stopped briefly to check the brakes but then continued driving like normal, Sinar Harian.
Abdul Wafiy Kamarudin said they left around 9PM, and just before reaching the winding stretch of road, the driver pulled over for a moment to inspect the brakes.
“I’m not sure what the condition of the brakes was, but he carried on with the trip anyway. I noticed he continued driving fast even though we were going through sharp bends. Despite all the curves and other vehicles on the road, he still sped. Then suddenly, close to 1AM, the bus overturned.”
Abdul Wafiy Kamarudin
“I was thrown out and landed in a drain”
The 23-year-old, who was sitting on the far right in the back row of the bus, said he was thrown out and landed in a drain.
“Most of us on the right side got flung out. The ones on the left were mostly stuck inside the bus. When I landed in the drain, a body landed on top of me. I tried to push it off, got up, and made my way to the side of the road. That’s when I saw a few more bodies lying all over the road,” he said.
The crash happened sometime between 12:30AM and 1AM. The bus, which was carrying UPSI students from Jertih to Tanjung Malim, Perak, flipped after colliding with an MPV along the East-West Highway.
15 students were killed and 33 others were injured, including the bus driver and co-driver, and the driver and three passengers of a Perodua Alza.
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