A Volkswagen Golf collided with the rear of a cement lorry at Km34 on the Kuala Lumpur-bound Karak Highway near Kampung Sungai Chinchin just after 2 a.m. on May 22, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4]. The crash occurred between 2:07 and 2:15 a.m., triggering an emergency call at 2:07 a.m. [1, 5, 2, 3, 6].

The Volkswagen was carrying four people. Three men in their 20s—Adli Hakim Akberdin, 24; Ameer Ashraf Khairul Annuar, 24; and Afiq Jamal Abdul Nasir, 26—were pronounced dead at the scene by Health Ministry personnel [1, 5, 2, 6, 3]. One 27-year-old woman, Athirah Najwa Mohd Tajul Ashikin, sustained severe head injuries and a fractured left leg. She was admitted to Selayang Hospital, where she regained consciousness from a coma and inquired about the crash by May 23 [1, 5, 2, 3, 4].

Adli Hakim Akberdin was a student at the International Islamic University of Malaysia and was engaged to Athirah Najwa, with plans to marry next year. His father, Datuk Akberdin Abdul Kader, said, “The girl who was badly injured (Athirah Najwa) was supposed to be my son's future wife, and we had already planned for them to get married next year.” He also described arriving at the scene alongside emergency personnel conducting extrication [5].

Rescue teams from Selayang Fire and Rescue Station arrived at 2:35 a.m. and began extricating the trapped victims using specialist equipment and emergency medical services vehicles. The operation concluded around 3:15 a.m. and involved six firefighters [1, 2, 3]. The Volkswagen was believed to have skidded before crashing, though that detail remains under investigation [5, 6].

The remains of Adli Hakim were sent for post-mortem examination at 3 p.m. the same day. Funeral rites and prayers were held at Section 7 Mosque, attended by hundreds including Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay [5, 6].

In a separate incident on May 23 in Baling, Kedah, a decomposed body was discovered inside a locked Proton Wira parked at Jalan Jerat Cina, after neighbors reported a strong foul smell. Firefighters forced open the vehicle around 12:15 p.m. to find the body in the front passenger seat [7, 8, 9, 10]. Police identified the deceased as a Malaysian man in his 30s with 20 prior criminal and drug-related records. The car was reported stolen in Pendang and is being investigated for vehicle theft under Section 379A of the Penal Code. Authorities have classified the death as sudden pending further inquiry. Baling district police chief Superintendent Brandon Anak Richard Joe said, “Preliminary investigations found that the man was a local in his 30s, and checks on his records revealed that the deceased had 20 previous criminal records involving crime and narcotics.” [9, 10]

Emergency services handled two distinct incidents within two days: the deadly Karak Highway collision early May 22 and the recovery of a decomposed body in a stolen vehicle in Baling on May 23. The injured woman from the Karak Highway crash remains hospitalized at Selayang, where her condition is being closely monitored [1, 5].