1 Bus Flips Over On Its Side, The Other Enters Ditch During Accident
As Singapore eases its Covid-19 restrictions, more people are heading to the workplace and on the roads.
Unfortunately, that may also mean an increase in road accidents – some of them fatal.
One driver sadly passed away after 2 private buses collided in Jurong West.
37 passengers were also sent to hospital after the incident.
Accident took place in industrial area
The accident took place at the junction of First Lok Yang Road and Lok Yang Way – an industrial area.
The police told The Straits Times (ST) that they were alerted at about 6.30am on Friday (1 Apr).
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) tweeted about the accident after 7am, warning motorists to avoid the left lane of First Lok Yang Road.
2 private buses were involved – a purple bus operated by Rui Feng Chartered, and a blue bus operated by Golden Friendly Contractors.
1 bus flips over, another enters ditch
According to photos shared by the Singapore Bus Drivers Community Facebook group, the impact caused the purple bus to flip over on its side.
The blue bus wasn’t spared either – its front veered off the road, ramming into a fence and entering a ditch, and there were severe dents in the body.
When Shin Min Daily News arrived at the scene, they observed that the windshield of both buses were smashed in, with debris scattered all over the road, indicating that the impact was great.
They also recorded a video of workers flipping the purple bus upright.
Bus driver declared dead at the scene
In a Facebook post on the incident, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted at about 6.35am.
When they arrived, they found the driver of the blue bus pinned in his seat.
Firefighters had to use hydraulic rescue equipment to free him.
Tragically, a paramedic declared him dead at the scene. He was 73 years old, reported Lianhe Zaobao.
Golden Friendly Contractors told the paper that the elderly man was a part-timer who’d just finished ferrying workers, and was on his way to pick up another batch of workers.
That’s why he was alone in his vehicle.
37 passengers taken to hospital
The flipped purple bus, on the other hand, was full of passengers – 37 to be exact.
While they were all conscious, the SCDF prioritised those with severe injuries in sending them to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and National University Hospital.
A Mass Decontamination Vehicle (MDV) also sent 14 of the casualties to hospital.
The driver of the purple bus, a man in his 30s who also suffered minor injuries, wasn’t taken to hospital.
According to Shin Min, the injured passengers were workers headed to Bugis, and they resorted to climbing out to escape the flipped bus.
The police are investigating the incident.
Condolences to family of the deceased
It’s fortunate that everyone in the purple bus made it out safely, despite the vehicle flipping over.
However, our heart goes out to the loved ones of the elderly driver, who will have to go through the trauma of knowing he met his demise in a fatal accident.
MS News sends our deepest condolences to them, and hope they will find peace.
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Featured image adapted from Lianhe Zaobao.
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