Burst tyre believed caused ambulance accident that claimed two lives

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IPOH: A burst tyre is believed to be the cause of the accident of an ambulance which left its driver and the female patient it was ferrying dead.

The accident happened at KM 368.4 of the North-South Expressway near Slim River at about 6.40am yesterday.

Muallim police chief Supt Wan Kamarul Azran Wan Yusof said police were notified at 7am and identified the driver as Mohd Hafidz Mohd Bahari, 37, while the patient was Azizah Dolah, 66, from Sungkai.

“Preliminary investigations indicate the right rear tyre had burst causing the ambulance to skid before it slammed into the side railing and overturned,” he said in a statement here.

He said the driver suffered serious head injuries while the ventilator for the patient came off due to the impact.

He identified the three Slim River Hospital staff in the ambulance as Dr Ainaa Athirah Abdullah, 29, nurse Nur Aliesa Hashim, 28, and medical assistant Hairuazani Khairuddin, 40.

He added that only Hairuazaini suffered injuries.

Earlier, a Perak Fire and Rescue Department spokesman had said the driver died at the scene while the passenger at the Slim River Hospital.

The ambulance was ferrying the patient from the from Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (in Ipoh) to the Slim River Hospital. — Bernama