Many watched in horror as a lorry rammed into the back of Nik Adlee Saha Nik Ahmad Fauzi’s yellow Perodua Myvi earlier this week.
They were later relieved, some perhaps in disbelief, that he managed to emerge from the crash largely unscathed.
Since Monday’s incident, Nik Adlee has hardly slept due to the trauma of what happened.
Nevertheless, the car salesperson said he was grateful for being granted a second chance at life.
“Yesterday (Sept 9) was the only time I managed to sleep, but only a little. It has been three or four days since the crash and I have not been able to sleep.
“It was very traumatic, but I need to move on with my life,” Nik Adlee told Malaysiakini in a recent interview.
Moments before, during, and after
The 45-year-old has vivid memories of what happened that day.
He recalled noticing that a big yellow lorry was speeding towards him despite the fact that cars were all stopped at a red traffic light.
This was around 2.40pm along a portion of Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Ipoh that was on a downward slope.
The lorry did not slow down as it approached his car.
It all happened so fast that Nik Adlee had no time to respond.
“I could not run because I was at the back (of the other cars). I already expected the crash to happen as I realised the front of the lorry was heading towards me,” he said.
The momentum from the crash was so great that four vehicles in front of him were affected as well.
Adlee’s car was the worst hit. Images from the crash showed it was completely crushed as it got sandwiched between the lorry and the car in front of him.
Inside his Myvi, he was also sandwiched between the squashed frame of his car and the inflated airbag in front of him.
He was travelling from his workplace in Bangsar to his home in Gombak when the crash happened.
Unable to escape, Nik Adlee said he could only think about his family.
“The only thing that crossed my mind was my kids, my wife, and my mother.
“Some of my kids are quite young. One is 18, one 15, one 10, and the youngest was only two years old,” he said.
Days after the incident, he still experiences aches and pains especially in his ribs, neck, back, feet, chest, and stomach, in addition to bruises all over his body.
Help came swiftly
Nik Adlee recalled being squashed under his car seat as his seatbelt would not disengage.
He could not breathe and blacked out for a while before he regained consciousness and cried for help.
“Allah helped me, Allah loves me. I suddenly awoke, opened my eyes, and saw someone yelling at me. I told them I could not breathe.
“I asked them to pull away the car frame because it was squashing me. About four or five good samaritans helped me pull apart the car frame.
“After they removed the front part of the car, I could remove my seatbelt and get out of the car,” he explained.
After the crash, fellow motorists helped save Nik Adlee. Videos of the incident showed members of the public working together to push the large lorry away from his car.
In one clip, he was seen climbing out of the wreckage amid dozens of people.
His face was bloody and he looked frazzled but he was alive with all limbs intact.
My seatbelt saved me
Nik Adlee was later rushed to Hospital Kuala Lumpur in an Armed Forces ambulance.
He was at the hospital for almost 15 hours, from 3.30pm that afternoon to 5am the next morning. Warded in the intensive care unit (ICU), he was treated and had an X-ray and CT scan.
Since being discharged, he continues to go for follow-up treatments with a specialist at the public hospital.
After the Sept 6 crash, the lorry driver was arrested and reportedly tested positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine.
The driver - identified as 25-year-old Ardi Latif - later pleaded not guilty when he was charged under Section 44 (1A) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
The section carries a maximum 10-year sentence and a fine of between RM30,000 and RM50,000. Those found guilty will also be disqualified from holding a driver’s license for at least seven years from the date of conviction.
Asked whether he wanted to take legal action against Ardi, Nik Adlee said he had left the matter to his lawyer.
As for his message to road users, he credited his seatbelt for saving his life and urged the public to belt up when in the car.
“If I did not wear my seatbelt, it could have been worse. I could have been thrown forward out of my car,” he said.
Nik Adlee felt he owed a huge thank you to all those who helped save him that day.
He was touched by their kindness despite being a stranger to them. He was also humbled by the support and encouragement he received from his family and friends.
“To those who dragged the car frame away from me, to those who called the armed forces, to those who helped me - I am grateful.
“Thank you so much for helping me even though you did not know me. I am so very grateful. I praise God for His power. He helped me.
“I was so relieved when I got home and saw my wife and children. I have been given a second chance at life.” - Mkini
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