On Sunday (March 28th), a one-minute video went viral on social media of a dashcam footage showing a driver overtaking a fire truck, which forced the firefighters to trail behind it during an emergency.
It can be seen that the fire truck was struggling to weave through traffic, and at one point both the driver and the firefighters got stuck at an intersection when the car driver hesitated to cross a busy traffic light.
Photo by Malay Mail via TikTok (wawan0405)
After a few seconds, the car driver then stuck his hand out the window to signal other road users to let him and the firetruck pass.
The video, which was shared on TikTok by firefighter Mohd Ridzwan Shah, sparked fury online.
After the viral incident, police have since arrested a man in Johor who was suspected to be the one driving the car that blocked the fire truck.
According to Malay Mail, the Johor Bahru South Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Mohd Padzli Mohd Zain, a team from the traffic investigation and enforcement department successfully tracked down the driver on Tuesday (March 30th), at 9:30 pm.
Preliminary results from a urine test showed that the 33-year-old factory operator was negative for drugs and checks by the police found that he has no criminal records.
Police also seized a Proton Wira that is believed to be the same car seen in the viral video, which was filmed on April 27th, 2019.
KENYATAAN MEDIA : TANGKAPAN BERKENAAN VIDEO BERTULAR DI LAMAN SOSIAL (1) LELAKI MENGHALANG KENDERAAN BOMBA MENJALANKAN TUGAS KECEMASAN DI JALAN BAKAR BATU JOHOR
Posted by Polis Daerah Johor Bahru Selatan on Wednesday, March 31, 2021
He said in a statement: “Based on a video that went viral on social media, a Proton Wira was seen blocking a team of firefighters on their way to an emergency at the traffic light intersection on Jalan Bakar Batu, Johor Bahru.
“The suspect took advantage of the situation by driving in front of the fire truck and used his arm to signal to other vehicles to give way without the authorisation to do so. The suspect also endangered himself and other road users by running a red light,” he said.
The chief ended his statement by advising the public to be responsible on the road and be aware of their surroundings and to ALWAYS give way to emergency vehicles when they hear sirens on the road.
We totally agree! Be a responsible driver and ALWAYS make way for ambulances, the police and fire trucks during an emergency.
Drive safe!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
