A short, ugly chain of events at the Bukit Kajang Toll Plaza on Saturday left a one-year-old boy dead and eight people hurt after a lorry lost control and smashed into vehicles waiting at the toll lanes. Witnesses, rescue crews and police rushed in. The driver has been arrested and the police say faulty brakes are to blame.
TL;DR
- A lorry with faulty brakes crashed into three vehicles at the Bukit Kajang Toll Plaza on Saturday (Sept 27).
- Tragically, a 12-month-old boy was killed; seven to eight others were injured.
- The 42-year-old lorry driver was arrested; he had prior records but tested negative for drugs/alcohol.
- Police are investigating the crash for reckless driving causing death and seek witness footage.
- The incident highlights the critical need for stricter vehicle maintenance and toll-lane safety measures.
The basics — who, when, where
- Where: Bukit Kajang Toll Plaza, on the route from Semenyih towards Putrajaya.
- When: around 10:50–11:00 AM on Saturday (Sept 27).
- What: a 3-tonne lorry carrying scrap iron reportedly experienced brake failure, lost control and hit three other vehicles queued at lanes eight and nine of the toll.
Casualties and rescue
Tragically, a 12-month-old boy (reported as a one-year-old in some news reports) was found trapped under a pickup and was pronounced dead at the scene. In addition, seven to eight people were hurt and taken to nearby hospitals — Kajang Hospital, Serdang Hospital and KPJ Kajang Specialist Hospital — for treatment. Emergency teams arrived quickly; firefighters extricated victims from under the vehicle.
The driver and the investigation
Police arrested a 42-year-old lorry driver to help with the probe. Early checks found he had past criminal records and outstanding traffic summonses, though his urine and breathalyser tests were negative for drugs and alcohol. Police say the crash is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (reckless or dangerous driving causing death). If convicted, penalties can include years behind bars, heavy fines and a long driving ban.
Vehicles involved & rescue timeline
Officials say the collision involved a 3-tonne lorry, a Public Works Department 4-wheel-drive pickup (Nissan X-Trail), a Honda City and a Proton X70. The Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) received the distress call at about 11:00 AM and reached the scene within minutes. Crews worked to free people trapped beneath the pickup; the baby was removed at about 11:30 AM but sadly did not survive.
What police are asking
Authorities are urging anyone who saw the crash or has dashcam footage to come forward. You can contact the Kajang Traffic Investigation Officer, Inspector Mohd Raziman Rasid, at 019-4565502, or report to the nearest police station. The more independent footage and witness accounts investigators get, the clearer the sequence of events will be.
My take — what this really means
This accident is one of those reminders nobody wants but everyone needs. Several quick points:
- Vehicle maintenance matters. A heavy commercial vehicle with faulty brakes is a public hazard — not just a private problem. More frequent and enforceable inspections for heavy trucks would lower the odds of this sort of tragedy.
- Toll plazas are risk hotspots. Cars queue, drivers get impatient, and when something goes wrong the outcome is magnified. Better physical barriers or escape lanes could reduce casualties when a vehicle loses control.
- Driver screening and enforcement. Past offences and unpaid summonses don’t automatically mean someone will cause a crash. Still, the presence of prior violations should trigger tighter scrutiny for commercial drivers. Random checks and stricter licensing rules could help.
- Dashcams and witnesses help. Footage can close gaps in an investigation fast. If you drive, consider a dashcam — not because the world is a dark place (okay, sometimes it is), but because evidence saves time and can save lives.
- Public compassion matters. Behind every headline is a family grieving. Public discussion should focus on prevention and support, not just finger-pointing.
I don’t pretend this will fix systemic problems overnight. But small, practical changes — stricter maintenance laws, better toll-lane design, and quicker enforcement — add up. And most importantly, we should remember the human cost behind the stats.
If you witnessed the crash
Call Inspector Mohd Raziman Rasid at 019-4565502 or go to your nearest police station. Any video or detail — however small — could be crucial.
