(Kluang, July 15) Grief has descended on a Kluang neighbourhood after a Year One boy was killed by the very school bus that had brought him home, in a heartbreaking accident that took place just steps from his front door on Tuesday afternoon.
The Year One pupil killed in this school bus accident lost his life on Jalan Bunga Raya 3 in Taman Sri Lalang at approximately 4.20pm. The 36-year-old female driver of the school bus had stopped to allow the child to alight, and moments later began driving the vehicle through a turn into the road. In doing so, the bus struck the boy, who was still on the left side of the road beside the vehicle, knocking him to the ground and running over him. He suffered a severe and fatal blow to the head, and was confirmed dead before ambulance crews could reach the scene.
The driver was unable to cope with the shock of what she had witnessed and collapsed at the scene, rendering her unconscious. She was transported to hospital where she remains under medical supervision. Kluang police chief Barin stated that a urine drug screening test will be carried out on the driver once she has been discharged, as part of standard procedure to fully establish the circumstances of the accident.
The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, the section dealing with reckless or dangerous driving causing death. The tragedy has renewed calls for tighter enforcement of school bus safety guidelines in Malaysia, with particular focus on driver awareness of blind spots when turning in residential drop-off zones where children may still be present on the road surface after disembarking.