Heroic attempt by RTD officers saved trapped accident victims

KUALA LUMPUR: What was supposed to be a normal routine patrol by two Road Transport Department (RTD) officers turned into a rescue mission instead.
In the incident yesterday, Selangor RTD operation unit chief Hasbullah Abu Bakar and officer Redzuan Abdul Samad were doing their rounds along the southbound North-South Highway here, when they saw a damaged Nissan Almera stranded by the roadside with steam coming out from the hood.
The female driver and her two children were trapped inside the cabin, but one of her daughters managed to crawl outside of the wreckage, desperately crying for help while blood flowed profusely from her head.
"We immediately jumped out of our car to rescue the trapped victims. They were uninjured, but the driver was still in shock due to the experience," Hasbullah told theSun.
Both officers disregarded their safety, despite being fully aware of the possibility of an explosion, as they were determined to see that all the victims were brought to safety.
However, the ordeal for the victims did not end there as the requested ambulance failed to arrive at the location on time.
"The child was crying continuosly due to the injury. We had no choice but to transport the victims using our patrol vehicle," Hasbullah said, adding that all victims were safely brought to the Klinik Kesihatan Tanjung Malim, assisted by the local police force.
Hasbullah said the patrol was part of the two-week RTD's "Ops Tahun Baru Cina", but added that it was unusual for its officers to be the first to arrive at an accident scene.
He said the public needs to change their perception towards the department, stressing that its enforcement officers were actively involved in community service to assist road users.
"We are not all about giving compound fines to road users. When they are involved in distress situations while on roads, we are among the first to arrive," he said.
theSun was invited to get the firsthand experience of Selangor RTD officers in action with their preparations to ensure a smooth journey for road users during the festive season.
Other than doing normal patrols on accident prone areas, spot checks were also regularly conducted on bus terminals and highways' rest zone as a preventive method against any untoward incident on roads.
The Ops Tahun Baru Cina was initiated on Jan 21 as part of RTD's effort to reduce the number of road fatalities during the Chinese New Year period. It is expected to continue until Feb 5.
Hasbullah said that the rainy season experienced throughout the week could somehow pose a challenge for RTD officers in discharging their duties.
"But be it rain or shine, we will not be stopped from carrying out our duties as it is our responsibility to serve and assist the public," he added.