Child thrown out of car - Myvi driver remanded

The driver of a Perodua Myvi car in a viral video showing a two-year-old boy being thrown out of a car and landing in the fast lane of the south-bound North-South Expressway (PLUS) is in remand for three days from today to facilitate investigations.

Negeri Sembilan Traffic Investigation and Enforcement deputy head, DSP Shaifulizan Sulaiman said the remand order against the 20-year-old man was issued by magistrate Tan Chai Wei.

The man, clad in T-shirt and black short trousers, arrived at the court accompanied by a few policemen. He will be in remand until Feb 14.

He was arrested in Batu Berendam, Melaka, at about 4.50 pm yesterday.

Yesterday, a 59-second video recording of the incident via a dashboard camera went viral on social media.

The incident took place about 3.20pm at KM235.5 of the south-bound Plus Expressway near Senawang.

The boy was travelling with his family in a car when he was thrown out of the vehicle after his father lost control of the wheel while trying to avoid colliding with another car that was being driven in a dangerous manner.

Meanwhile, Negeri Sembilan Women Affairs, Family and Welfare Action Committee chairman Nicole Tan Lee Koon, who visited the boy at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban today, said the boy only sustained a slight external injury and was reported to be in stable condition.

The X-ray conducted on him showed there was no internal injury, she told reporters, adding that the state government would provide financial contribution and a child restraint seat (CSR) for his family.

“The incident clearly shows the importance of using child seat [...] it is also hoped that with this incident, the public will comply with the regulations on the use of use of CSR for children,” she added.

Meanwhile, the boy’s father, K Satthiaseelan, 33, said he was driving on the right lane of the expressway when, through his rear-view mirror, he saw a Honda Jazz flicking its high beam, with a Perodua Myvi trailing closely behind it.

“When I wanted to give way, a Perodua Myvi suddenly came from the left lane and cut across to the right lane, hitting the left rear side of my car. In doing so, the impact caused me to ram into the divider.

“It was then that I saw my son flying through the window of the front passenger seat. I immediately stopped the car in the middle of the road and searched for him but could not find him. It was only after that I saw him in the middle of the road and quickly went to him,” he added.

Satthiaseelan, a furniture factory worker who resides in Taman Cempaka, Rantau, thanked all quarters for their assistance in the incident, especially the lorry driver, who stopped his vehicle and then went to get his son, Tisshaaanth. - Bernama