Day trip turns tragic
By Achong Tanjong 

What was supposed to have been a day trip to Sri Aman, Sarawak turned tragic when a family travelling from Brunei was involved in a car accident halfway through their journey in Miri. The family was hoping to spend their Gawai celebration with family members in Sarawak, it was learnt.

The accident occurred around 6 am last week when the driver of the family's white station wagon attempted to overtake a lorry.

Travelling at high speed coupled with slippery road conditions, the vehicle skidded and swerved into a pipeline by the roadside.

The pipeline 'saved' the vehicle from plunging down a ravine. The side of the car was badly damaged.

Everyone escaped unhurt except for the mother who sustained slight injuries. She was holding onto her one-year-old child and was seated at the front passenger seat.

"It all happened in a fraction of a second!" the driver recalled frantically. "I heard the scratching sound of tyres the next thing we knew we were on the other side of the road beside the pipelines."

Meanwhile, those travelling to other parts of Sarawak - especially the Iban community - to celebrate the Gawai Dayak celebrations are cautioned to take extra care while driving.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin