Police: Driver of crashed bus admits he fell asleep

Rescue workers removing the dead from the express bus. - Bernama pic

IPOH, Dec 26 — The driver of an express bus that crashed at Km272.8 of the North-South Expressway early today and left 10 passengers killed and two injured has admitted to falling asleep at the wheel.

“He fell asleep at the wheel but breathalyser and drug tests conducted on him proved negative,” Ipoh traffic police chief DSP Mohd Rodzi Rejab told reporters here today.

The double-decker Sani Express bus skidded and hit the road divider as it was heading north, about 8km after the Ipoh Selatan toll plaza at 1am.

The victims had been seated on the lower tier of the bus. The two drivers and the 36 other passengers were unhurt.

It is understood that the driver had taken over the wheel after the bus had stopped at the Simpang Pulai lay-by just before Ipoh.

Mohd Rodzi said the driver was supposed to take over the wheel at the Sungai Perak Rest and Service Area, Kuala Kangsar further ahead.

He declined to comment on whether the driver had any previous records, but said the express bus records were clean.

The police have remanded the driver until Wednesday to facilitate investigations under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Meanwhile, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir has urged the federal government to ban express buses from travelling at night.

“The measure could help reduce accidents involving express buses. The lives of passengers are more important,” he told reporters after presenting personal donations to families of the victims at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital here today. — Bernama