PETALING JAYA: A Taiwanese tourist was crushed after a bus rolled backwards at the slope of a hotel lobby and hit him.

Police have arrested a tour bus driver following the tragedy at 8.20am yesterday which killed Teng Yun-chi, 56.

Teng, who used a walking cane, was making his way towards a bus outside the hotel lobby.

Witnesses said another tour bus, which was parked in front of him, started rolling backwards down the slope.

“Everyone got out of the way except the man, who couldn’t move away in time,” said witness Datuk K. Kumaraendran, 73.

Another witness, who declined to be named, said that he heard a loud scream as the bus rolled down but it was too late for anyone to do anything.

Teng’s family members were too distraught to speak to the media.

The 65-year-old bus driver, who was later arrested, said he was helping some tourists load their luggage when the vehicle began to move.

“I did not forget to pull the brake. But the bus rolled back anyway. I tried to run into it to stop it but it was too late,” said the driver, who has 35 years of driving experience.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Azmi Abu Kassim said the victim was travelling with his wife and daughter with a tour group from Taiwan.

He was believed to have arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday.

His body was sent to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.

The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act for reckless driving.-thestar