James was driving his Subaru Forester at a speed no less than 140 km/h. We were on our way to Sepang for our Merdeka Millennium Endurance race-car test/practice session. All of a sudden, he rammed his Scooby onto the rear of a slow-moving vehicle. 
The impact forced the vehicle into a spin, causing it to collide with the road divider and eventually coming to a halt at the centre of the highway.
To make matters worse, the car’s engine compartment caught fire. Thankfully, a passing motorist handed us a fire extinguisher to quench an otherwise potentially explosive situation. The impact of the collision and the continuous spinning had forced all our luggage, belongings and vehicle parts to scatter up to 75 meters radius around the accident site. The sight was akin to the aftermath of a mini-tsunami.
The unfortunate slow-moving vehicle hit by James was a large box-van. Despite its substantial weight and size, I was struck in awe when I realized that the vehicle had flipped on its side due to the intensity of the impact.
Apart from some small cuts, bumps and bruises, all of us were very relieved to escape relatively unscathed. But here are some interesting facts to note.
- The registration number (3866) of the box-van eerily mirrored the birthday of our driver - James i.e. 3rd August 1966; and
- The incident took place on the 15th day of Lunar 7th month i.e. the most significant day of the Ghost Month Festival with roaming spirits (aka hungry ghosts) out in full force. According to believers, the ‘official’ hell-gate open house is held annually on this day.
Lastly, in case you ask, the reshaped Forester was written off by the insurer as Total Loss. And, as for the four of us, heaven can wait…..
