Seven policemen escorting four murder suspects injured after accident

KLUANG: Seven policemen escorting four murder case suspects to a court trial were injured when two police vehicles they were in was involved in a road accident at the Km123.4 North-South Expressway near Batu Pahat here today.
Except for one policeman who suffered a broken leg, the rest including the four suspects escaped with light injuries in the 8.40am accident that involved a police patrol car and a police van.
It is learnt that the four murder case suspects were being taken to the Muar High Court to attend a trial when the driver of the police patrol car escorting the police van lost control of the vehicle when he tried to avoid a four-wheel drive pick-up truck ahead.
The van then crashed into the patrol car before both vehicles plunged into a ravine.
The pick-up truck was damaged but the driver escaped injuries.
The police van driver was trapped in the vehicle but was later freed by firemen who arrived the scene within minutes.
Kluang police chief ACP Mohamad Laham said all four suspects and the policemen involved in the accident were later treated for their injuries at the Batu Pahat hospital and Kluang hospital.
"It was raining heavily at the time and the accident was caused by human error." he said.
Mohamad Laham said the suspects were facing the murder trial for over three days but following the accident, the High Court had postponed the case to another date.