PETALING JAYA: A couple survived an accident with an elephant crossing at Kilometre 50 of the Johor Bahru-Mersing Road while travelling in their multipurpose vehicle (MPV) last night.
Kota Tinggi police chief, Yusof Othman said the 9.20pm incident took place when the husband and wife were heading to Mersing from Kota Tinggi, Sinar Harian reported.
“Upon arriving at that area, four elephants suddenly crossed the road, causing the driver to fail to avoid them and collide with one of the animals.
“As a result of the collision, the front part of the Perodua Alza was damaged, but both victims, aged 40 and 38 respectively, did not suffer any injuries,“ he said in a statement today.
He said the elephants fled back into the nearby forest immediately after the incident occurred.
The police advise road users to be more cautious, especially when traveling on roads near the forests at night.
Earlier, an 11-second clip was circulating on social media, showing a MPV was stopped in the middle of a dark road with hazard lights on.
Based on the video, it can be seen the area was pitch dark with no streetlights there.
This is not the first wildlife-vehicle collision, as a recent viral incident involved a container truck fatally striking a male elephant calf on the Gerik-Jeli road just last Sunday.
