Grab driver had suffered medical emergency during accident in Tanjong Rhu, passengers not injured
A 66-year-old Grab driver was sent to the hospital on Monday (16 March) after being involved in an accident in Tanjong Rhu.
He had been struggling to breathe before suddenly launching his vehicle into a traffic light, said his passenger, who described the incident in a post on XiaoHongShu.
Source: 菜菜曦 on XiaoHongShu
Grab driver coughs incessantly, starts to lose consciousness at Tanjong Rhu traffic light
In the post made on Tuesday (17 March), the passenger said she was sitting in the private-hire vehicle with her friend the night before.
As the car was waiting at a traffic light, the driver started coughing incessantly, leading them to suspect something was wrong.
When the car started inching forward despite the light still being red, her friend patted the driver and asked him whether he was okay.
However, he appeared to be struggling to breathe and was starting to lose consciousness.
Grab driver steps on accelerator, crashes car into traffic light
After they patted him a few more times, the driver appeared to regain consciousness somewhat, but suddenly stepped on the accelerator.
This caused the car to lurch forward and slam into a traffic light.
Source: 菜菜曦 on XiaoHongShu
After the crash, the driver, now conscious, kept apologising, the passenger said.
He also said he would reverse out, but they told him not to move and alighted from the car.
Passenger thankful that nobody was injured
The incident caused the passenger to ruminate on the fragility of life, saying they could have died in the crash.
She was thankful that no one was injured, there were no oncoming trucks, they weren’t travelling at high speed, and they crashed into the nearest object that could stop them.
She also wondered what back-seat passengers could do when something like this happened, and advised other passengers to always wear their seatbelts.
Grab driver sent to hospital & assisting investigations
In response to queries from MS News, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it was alerted to the accident at 9.30pm on 16 March.
It took place at the junction of Tanjong Rhu Road, Meyer Road and Fort Road, and involved a car that had self-skidded.
The driver, a 66-year-old man, was conveyed conscious to the hospital.
Source: 菜菜曦 on XiaoHongShu
He is also assisting with police investigations, which are ongoing.
Grab apologises, refunds passenger
Later, the passenger said she contacted Grab after she got home and was told by customer service that they would contact the driver to confirm the incident.
But up till she fell asleep at around midnight, the app showed that her trip was “active”.
The next day, she received an email from Grab, apologising for the incident and refunding her for the trip.
Source: 菜菜曦 on XiaoHongShu
Grab driver suffered medical emergency
In response to queries from The Straits Times (ST), a Grab spokesperson said its driver-partner suffered a sudden medical emergency during the trip.
He is now recovering, and Grab is managing his insurance documentation and waiving his rental charges.
Grab drivers enjoy subsidised healthcare and health screenings under its GrabBenefits programme. The spokesperson thus advised drivers to prioritise their health and make full use of these resources.
The company has issued a full refund to the passenger, the spokesperson noted, adding that it is committed to supporting both the passenger and its driver-partner throughout their recovery.
MS News has reached out to Grab for more information.
Also read: 23-year-old woman dies after private-hire vehicle crashes into bus in Yishun
23-year-old woman dies after private-hire vehicle crashes into bus in Yishun
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Featured image adapted from 菜菜曦 on XiaoHongShu.
