Three friends died after the car they were travelling in skidded before being hit by another vehicle at Kilometer 104.6 of the East Coast Highway near Lanchang early this morning.

In the 5.58am incident, the ill-fated Proton Wira which was heading to Kuala Lumpur from Temerloh had earlier skidded before crashing into the metal barrier in the middle of the highway.

Temerloh acting police chief Supt Zundin Mahmood said at the same time, a four-wheel drive vehicle came from the same direction and crashed into the car.

He said the dead victims were the Proton Wira's rear passenger, Low Yee Yam, 34, from Lorong Dato Yusof Shahbudin, Taman Mewah Jaya, Klang, Selangor, driver, Gan Kai Lun, 26, from Kampung Baru Kerdau, Temerloh and front passenger Tan Teh Kang, 26, from Pekan Kerdau.

"All the victims died at the scene of the incident due to serious head and body injuries."

According to him, the four-wheel-drive vehicle driver, 32, and his wife, 30, were unhurt.

He said the victims' bodies had been brought to the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Hospital in Temerloh.

Zundin said the case was being investigated under Section 41 (1) of the Road transport Act 1987.