Six killed in horrific crash
YAN: He was a taxi driver who had never had an accident in his 32 years on the job. Then, on his 72nd birthday, Ooi Guan Seng had his first accident. And it was fatal.
Guan Seng was among six people who died in a head-on collision between his taxi and another car at about 9pm on Friday along Jalan Alor Setar-Gurun near Padang Lumat here.
Also killed were his wife Tai Cheng Kee@Teh Suan Kee, 69, and his sister, Lian Choo, 76. They were returning home from Penang where Guan Seng had sought treatement from a Chinese traditional physician for a spinal problem.
Guan Seng and Tai, who were from Alor Setar, died on the spot while Lian Choo, from Pekan Lama Tokai, died at the Yan Hospital at 1.30am yesterday. The couple left behind three sons, two daughters and 15 grandchildren.
The other victims were the three occupants of the other car.
Mechanic Ahmad Arif Othman, 27, the driver, and his neighbour Mohamad Azzmi Azizan, 32, died on the spot while Hajir Ibrahim, 53, succumbed to injuries at 11.30am yesterday at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Setar.
Another car coming from behind rammed into the taxi but its 29-year-old driver was unhurt.
Guan Seng’s second son, Soon Tat, 47, said his father was a very careful driver who had not met with an accident in his life, even before becoming a taxi driver.
He said he had called his father numerous times after 11pm on Friday when his parents failed to return home and only knew that they were killed in an accident when a policemen came to their house in Alor Setar to inform them after midnight.
He said the family had celebrated his father’s Chinese birthday on the 10th day of the seventh lunar month (Aug 12) although he was born on Sept 9.
Soon Tat said his parents would be buried at a memorial park in Kebun 500, Pokok Sena, on Tuesday.
Ahmad Arif, from Batu 8¾ Simpang Empat in Tokai, was sending Hajir back to the latter’s home in Jelutong Indah Apartment in Bukit Dumbar, Penang, for Hari Raya Haji when the accident occurred.
“He invited neighbour Mohamad Azzmi to follow him to Penang and they picked up Hajir in Guar Chempedak.
Senseless tragedy: Guan Seng’s taxi on the roadside after the head-on collision.
“Hajir was at Guar Chempedak to carry out a village house building project for his friend,” Ahmad Arif’s brother, Azaman Othman said at the Yan Hospital mortuary.
Azaman, 40, said his brother treated Hajir like his adopted father.
Hajir’s daughter Siti Nabila, 19, who last met her father last month, said she had been looking forward to meeting him during Hari Raya Haji.
“However, at about 1.25am on Saturday morning, I received news that he was involved in a road accident. He died at the hospital at about 11.30am,” she said when met at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital mortuary.
Siti Nabila said her father would be buried at the Perak Road Muslim cemetery in Penang.
Yan district police chief Deputy Supt Muhd Halim Yatim said the accident happened along a straight stretch of road that was dark, having no street lights. He said it was not raining at that time.
“The car entered the opposite lane and crashed head on with the taxi,” he said, adding that the impact of the collision caused the vehicle to overturn.
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