KUALA LUMPUR: Local film director and critic Mansor Puteh died in a road accident at Alam Damai, Cheras here, this morning.

The news was confirmed by his nephew Shahreza Mustafa, 49, who said the incident occurred while Mansor, 70, was driving a friend’s car.

“He was alone in the car and was reported to have died at the scene,“ he said when contacted by Bernama today.

According to Shahreza, his uncle’s body is at Tuanku Muhriz Chancellor’s Hospital (HCTM) for a post-mortem, and is expected to be brought back to Kampung Pengkalan Rama Tengah, Melaka for burial.

Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department head ACP Sarifudin Mohd Salleh said Mansor is believed to have lost control of the vehicle, causing it to skid and crash into the road divider.

The accident is said to have occurred at 10.10 am, when the victim was driving a Proton Iswara car from Taman Len Seng towards Taman Alam Damai.

“The victim sustained serious head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel,“ he said.

Sarifudin added that further investigation is being conducted in accordance with Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Mansor studied mass communication at the Mara Institute of Technology (ITM) and started his career as a journalist. Later, in 1978, he pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Film Directing at Columbia University in New York City.

His notable works include directing the film ‘Seman’ in 1988 and producing a 48-minute documentary on Tunku Abdul Rahman titled Residency Years or ‘Bertahun di Residensi’.

Mansor was honoured as the country’s second-highest blood donor in 2021 and was recognised for his exceptional achievement of donating blood 500 times in 2018.