[caption id="attachment_205609" align="aligncenter" width="900"]
Japan's Kento Momota suffered light injuries in an accident on the Maju Expressway on January 13. Momota won the men's singles final match against Denmark's Viktor Axelsen at the Malaysia Open badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur on January 12, 2020. — Picture by MOHD RASFAN / AFP[/caption]
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — A van driver was killed while four passengers, among them badminton star Kento Momota, were lightly injured after the vehicle was involved in a collision with a lorry at KM13.7 of the Maju Expressway (MEX) at about 4.40 am today.
The van driven by Bavan a/l Nageswarau was on its way to the KL International Airport when it crashed into the lorry which was said to be moving at a snail's pace.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis said Bavan, who was pinned in his seat, died at the scene.
Besides Momota, current world champion and the world number one men's singles shuttler, the other passengers were Hirayama Yu; Morimoto Arkifuki and William Thomas, a badminton player from England.
"The victim's body and all the injured were sent to the Putrajaya Hospital," he told Bernama.
Norazam said a team of 10 rescuers from the Serdang Fire and Rescue Station was rushed to the scene on being alerted at 4.57 am.
Yesterday, Momota, who is on a league of his own, won the Malaysia Masters men's singles title at the Axiata Arena here, his first at the prestigious tournament after chasing it for many years.
He defeated former world champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final.
— Bernama
