Swerving to Miss Monkeys, Family’s Car Dove into a Ditch

MALAYSIA — A family of six experienced a frightening incident when their car skidded off the road and plunged into a water-filled ditch along Kilometer 15 of Jalan Selama-Bagan Serai last Saturday (24 August). The mishap occurred around 3:45 PM when a Proton Iriz, driven by a woman with five passengers onboard, including four children aged between one and 13, swerved to avoid a group of monkeys.

Monkeys Caused the Car to Stray Off-Course

According to Superintendent Juna Yusoff, the Chief of Kerian District Police, the accident happened as the driver attempted to avoid a group of monkeys crossing the road. The attempt to dodge the animals led to the car hitting an electric pole before plunging into the ditch on the right side of the road. The family was traveling from Selama to Bagan Serai at the time.

Bystanders Save the Family

The quick actions of bystanders at the scene were crucial in preventing a more severe outcome. Two men were seen swimming to the sinking vehicle and rescuing the family members just before fully submerging the car.

They were subsequently transported to Parit Buntar Hospital for outpatient care. Fortunately, none of the family members sustained serious injuries and were allowed to return home later that day.

Investigation Underway

The incident is being investigated under Rule 10, Traffic Rules 166/59 for failing to control the vehicle while driving, which led to an accident. A 35-second video of the rescue, posted by the bystander with the username @/_mrkay_ on Tiktok has gained significant attention online, amassing 17.1 million views. The footage vividly captured the rescue moments and has been widely shared on social media.

Public Reactions

The incident prompted heartfelt reactions online. One user shared a similar experience: “It happened in front of my house before. The car was speeding and skidded into a ditch. The ditch was deep at that time. My brother and his husband jumped in to save everyone. It turned out there were six kids in the car, probably aged 3-10 years old.”

Another comment read, “’Bang, help me, bang.’ Hearing that boy’s voice asking for help was so touching. Alhamdulillah, I hope everyone is okay.”

A third comment expressed gratitude to the kind bystanders, “Thank goodness… all the children and the woman are safe. Thanks to all the kind people who helped with the rescue. Alhamdulillah.”