KUALA LUMPUR: Police outriders controlling traffic on a Putrajaya highway in the moments before yesterday’s fatal crash were performing their duties in accordance with regulations and SOPs, Kuala Lumpur police chief Allaudeen Abdul Majid said.
“If we look at the video, traffic control was in accordance with the SOPs we have set,” Allaudeen told reporters here today.
He said based on the CCTV footage, there may have been negligence on the part of the lorry driver.
In the 10.15am incident, a lorry ploughed into several vehicles stopped on a highway in Putrajaya during an exercise for police outriders to practise escort duties for Le Tour de Langkawi.
Two motorcyclists were killed instantly. The lorry driver had no record of traffic offences, New Straits Times reported the police as saying.
Allaudeen said the lorry driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by reckless or dangerous driving under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
“We will request a seven-day remand order, but it is up to the magistrate to decide,” he said, adding that the road transport department (JPJ) and Puspakom are assessing the incident to see if there were technical issues behind the crash.
“We need to ensure that the investigation is carried out before we can reach any conclusion about the cause of the incident,” he said.
He said his department will work closely with JPJ, the environment department, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to further enhance their operations on heavy vehicles.
“I want to remind all road users to be responsible, not only to ensure their own safety, but also those around them,” he said.