KULIM: An elderly couple was killed when the car they were travelling in plunged down a slope at the Lebuhraya Perdana–Kilang Lama junction early today.
Mohamad Iddrus Samsudin, 62, and Halimah Mat Piah, 63, from Rawang, Selangor were killed at the scene in the 6am crash near Politeknik Sultanah Bahiyah here.
Kulim police chief Superintendent Ahmad Nasir Jaafar said preliminary investigations showed that Iddrus had lost control of the Perodua Myvi he was driving, before it skidded and plunged down the hill slope.
He said the couple was travelling from Lebuhraya Perdana Kulim Hi Tech to Jalan Kulim-Serdang.
“The impact caused both victims to be pinned inside the car. Passers-by who witnessed the accident alerted the police and the Fire and Rescue Department,” he said when contacted.
However, both victims were pronounced dead at the scene, Nasir added.
Police have classified the case under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Meanwhile, the couple's son Mohamad Azeery Mohamad Iddrus, 35, said his parents travelled from Rawang to visit his family in Sungai Kob.
Azeery said his worst fear was confirmed when a police officer broke the news to him after all his calls to his father's handphone went unanswered for three hours.
He said the last call from his father was at 5.15am, saying that they have reached Sungai Kob area.
"I got worried after my parents failed to arrive so I tried to call him on his handphone but it went unanswered.
"Finally, at about 9am, a female police officer answered the call and informed me that my parents were killed in an accident.
"She tried to use the phone to look for contact number of next-of-kin but was unable to do so as it was password-protected," he said when met at the hospital mortuary.
He said his parents' remains would be laid to rest in Kamunting, Perak later this evening.