TAIPING: A 21-year-old Proton Persona driver was killed in a highway crash at 12.35 am today at KM 229.6 of the PLUS highway while headed north.

Taiping district police chief, ACP Osman Mamat, named the deceased, a private sector employee, as Muhammad Syahmi Ishak from Kampung Baru, Desa Jaya Sungai Semiar in Sik, Kedah.

"He sustained severe head injuries and died on the spot. His body was brought to Hospital Taiping for post-mortem," he said in a statement today.

A preliminary investigation shows that Muhammad Syahmi's car was hit from behind by a lorry and the impact caused it to spin out and hit the concrete barrier on the right side of the highway, said Osman.

In a chain reaction, "a vehicle travelling in the right lane hit the victim's car and spun out and hit an ambulance in the left lane.

"Four other vehicles travelling in the same direction also collided with the victim's car in the right lane," he said, while adding that none of the seven other drivers sustained injuries.

Osman added that the case will be investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

-- BERNAMA