UPSI Bus Driver Claims Brake Failure Caused Crash, Denies Speeding Or Shouting In Anger
Survivors previously alleged that the driver was speeding and yelling in anger.
UPDATE:
The bus driver involved in the fatal accident that killed 14 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and one bus attendant claimed that brake failure, not speeding, caused the crash
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifle, 39, said the bus was in good condition when it departed from Jertih, Terengganu to the UPSI campus in Tanjong Malim, Perak, about a five-hour drive via the East-West Highway (JRTB).
"The brakes stopped working without warning, and at the same time, the air system failed," he recounted the incident.
"I tried everything I could, but without air pressure, nothing worked. The handbrake was unresponsive, and I couldn't even shift gears.
"I did my best to avoid other vehicles. I remember swerving past at least four, including a lorry, before the crash happened.
"The last vehicle I overtook had a dashcam. I wasn't speeding. I was trying to avoid crashing into other cars. But the road was winding, and I had no control left," Amirul said when contacted.
Below is the dashcam footage capturing the accident:
The bus driver said he is overwhelmed with regret and offered apologies to the victims' families
He said that moments before the crash, he shouted to warn the students of the impending impact.
"Those sitting near the front may have heard me. But most of the students at the back were asleep. Some thought I was shouting in anger.
"I estimate the bus travelled more than a kilometre with failed brakes. I did all I could to prevent the worst.
"I know the Jeli-Gerik route well. I wasn't speeding, especially since we were going downhill," he said, struggling to keep his composure.
Amirul, who hails from Besut, Terengganu, has been a bus driver since 2016.
According to The Star, a remand order will be issued for Amirul once he is discharged from Hospital Taiping.
He is currently awaiting surgery for a fractured left arm.
Image via theSundaily
Earlier, two UPSI students who survived the accident claimed the bus driver was speeding and shouting angrily
"I woke up when I heard the driver shouting angrily. I don't know what he was angry at, but the bus started swaying from side to side and then overturned," Sinar Harian quoted Farhana Ab Aziz, 23, as saying.
She said she was asleep when the bus departed from Jertih, Terengganu but woke around 12.45am to the sound of the driver mumbling angrily. She was uncertain if his frustration stemmed from the bus or something on the road ahead.
According to her, several students who were awake also noticed the driver's unusual behaviour. Moments later, the bus began to swerve before overturning.
Another student, Nur Irdina Huri, 22, told the New Straits Times that the bus appeared to be speeding and swaying uncontrollably.
She added that the bus emitted a burning smell while descending a hilly stretch.
Learn more about the accident here:
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