A Malaysian man in his 40s travelling back to Kuala Lumpur realised he left his 73-year-old mother at a rest stop, only after driving for nearly 200 km, reported the New Straits Times.

Stopped to use the washroom

The man was driving to Kuala Lumpur from Bukit Payong in Kuala Terengganu with his wife and elderly mother, presumably after the Hari Raya break.

Along the way, he stopped at the Bukit Besi Rest & Relaxation rest stop at 8am, where his wife got off to use the washroom.

Such rest stops have several facilities such as toilets, restaurants and prayer spaces which cater to the needs of drivers and their families on a long trip.

The man and his mother remained in the car and he dozed off shortly after.

As soon as his wife returned from her toilet break, the man woke up and resumed their journey home, both unaware that the man's mother had quietly got down from the car to use the washroom too.

Back at the rest stop, the man's mother returned shocked to find that her son's car had left without her.

Taken to daughter's home

The elderly woman sought help from those at the rest stop. Members of the public offered to take her to the express bus stop, however she remained as she was reluctant to leave.

Eventually, two staff members of Malaysia's Road Transport Department who were patrolling the rest stop spoke to the woman, and they sent her to the Bukit Besi police station.

According to the local police, the elderly woman informed them that she has a daughter who teaches at a school at the nearby Bukit Payong.

The police contacted the school and managed to inform her daughter about the incident.

Afterwards, the elderly woman was taken to her daughter's home by her grandson, who showed up to pick her up at about 12.30pm.

Meanwhile, her son and his wife only realised that the woman was missing when they stopped for a lunch break at the Gambang rest stop near Kuantan.

By then, the couple was already 196km away from the rest stop where the man left his mother.

It is understood that her son and his wife made a U-turn, and returned to pick her up.

Top image via Google Maps