71-year-old woman suffers fractured jaw after PMD rider allegedly knocks her down at Pasir Ris Mall

Husband of injured senior calls for action against PMDs after Pasir Ris incident

An enraged husband is calling for stricter action against personal mobility devices (PMDs) after his 71-year-old wife was knocked down on a shared pavement at Pasir Ris Mall.

In a Facebook post published on 15 Dec, Frank Singam shared a video of his wife, Malar, lying in a hospital bed at Changi General Hospital, where she is recovering from serious injuries sustained in the incident.

Incident occurred near Pasir Ris Polyclinic

In the caption accompanying the video, Mr Singam said the incident took place on 10 Dec, just in front of Pasir Ris Polyclinic.

Source: Google Maps, for illustration purposes only

“It was no fault of mine,” Mrs Singam clarified in the recording. “I was looking at the stairs coming down from Pasir Ris Mall, to make sure I don’t trip and fall. As I turned, I didn’t see the PMD rider coming because he was behind me. He hit me from the back.”

The impact caused her to be thrown forward, with her chin striking the concrete pavement.

Mrs Singam suffered three fractures to her jaw and underwent surgery on 12 Dec at Changi General Hospital.

Mr Singam said the attending doctor described the injuries as severe.

Source: Frank Singam on Facebook

Implants were inserted and her jaw was wire-locked to facilitate recovery.

As a result, she has been placed on a liquid-only diet for the next few weeks, possibly months, and finds it physically taxing to engage in conversation.

‘I don’t have eyes at the back of my head’

In the video, Mrs Singam expressed frustration over her situation, questioning how seniors are expected to stay safe on shared pavements.

“I don’t have eyes at the back of my head,” she said. “This PMD rider came at speed and hit my back. I got thrown. This is not right.”

She added that she may still require further operations, and questioned whether elderly pedestrians were expected to take extreme precautions just to walk safely.

“Do I have to walk around with a helmet? With a walking stick? Put a big label on me saying, ‘Be careful, I am old’?” she asked, adding that children could just as easily be injured.

50th anniversary trip cancelled due to accident

Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Mr Singam said the outcome could have been far worse.

He noted that his wife was wearing glasses at the time of the fall and could have suffered more serious facial injuries.

Given that she landed chin-first, he added that she could also have snapped her neck.

The couple had recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and had planned a family trip to the United States to continue the celebrations.

Unfortunately, they had to cancel the trip following the accident.

Call for stricter treatment of PMDs

Mr Singam called for firmer action against PMDs on shared pavements, questioning how many pedestrians, particularly seniors, may have already been injured.

Mrs Singam echoed this call in the video, saying that while PMDs need not be banned outright, they must be regulated more strictly.

Source: Land Transport Authority, for illustration purposes only

In a follow-up post on 16 Dec, Mr Singam said his wife’s condition had improved and that she was discharged the same day for outpatient treatment.

However, he noted that the implants would take weeks to be removed, with hopes of full jaw functionality returning in about three months.

Despite the positive update, he stressed that “the battle with the authorities and against PMD and PMA operators goes on”.

Another post on 18 Dec said he had written to senior authorities and received a response stating the matter had been referred to relevant agencies.

Questioning whether meaningful action would follow, he raised concerns about the safety of elderly pedestrians on shared pavements and urged authorities to take stronger, concrete measures to protect them.