65YO Cleaner Dies After Accident with Go-Ahead Bus in Pasir Ris While Cycling to Work

By
Teo Yin Yan
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A 65-year-old man passed away after colliding with a Go-Ahead Singapore bus at the junction of Pasir Ris Drive 3, Pasir Ris Central on 10 April 2023.

The man, surnamed Chen, was riding on his bicycle when the collision happened. The impact caused him to be sent to the hospital in an unconscious state. 

Police reported that they were alerted to the accident at about 7.20 am. The 45-year-old bus driver responsible for the accident is currently assisting them with investigations.

Passing Caused Great Grief to Family

Chen’s wife, now a widow, revealed that the family struggled to deal with her husband’s death. 

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, she recounted that her husband was active and regularly rode his bicycle to work as a cleaner, with no past problems ever occurring. As such, it shocked her when the police informed her of her husband’s accident. 

Upon hearing about the accident, she and her son immediately rushed to the site, only to be redirected to Changi General Hospital, where Chen had already lost consciousness.

Witnessing her unconscious husband was painful, and the situation worsened when the hospital informed her that they needed to be prepared for the worst. 

Sadly, Chen passed away in the hospital on the afternoon of 11 April 2023.

She shared that the family was devastated by Chen’s passing, mainly because their son had already bought plane tickets for the entire family to visit Taiwan for sightseeing in October 2023.

This trip would have been the family’s first overseas vacation if Chen were still alive.

Response from Go-Ahead Singapore

Go-Ahead Singapore, a subsidiary of the UK transport provider Go-Ahead Group and a prominent public transport operator here, conveyed their regret for the tragic incident involving their bus service 358.

A company spokesperson stated that Chen’s family’s well-being is their foremost concern, and they constantly communicate with the family to offer aid and comfort during this challenging period.

Furthermore, the spokesperson emphasised that the incident profoundly saddened the organisation and reiterated that they would collaborate fully with all relevant authorities as they investigate the matter.

Cases of Elderly-Related Traffic Accidents On the Rise

The number of traffic accidents involving the elderly has only increased lately. Just recently, a 69-year-old woman had her foot run over by a bus that failed to notice her while turning.

While Chen was not jaywalking or on foot when the accident happened, it is significant to note that apart from Chen, traffic accidents involving elderly pedestrians have now become more common.

According to the annual statistics report released by the Traffic Police (TP), there were 23 fatalities in 2022 involving elderly pedestrians, representing a 53.3% increase from the 15 cases in 2021. 

Moreover, the number of seniors aged 60 and above injured in pedestrian-related accidents rose from 193 in 2021 to 213 in 2022, with 70% of these accidents resulting in fatalities.

Senior Assistant Commissioner Gerald Lim, the commander of TP, identified that one contributing factor is that elderly pedestrians often assume they can cross the road quickly, despite their mobility being slower than they think. 

To tackle this, TP collaborates with the People’s Association and elderly homes regularly to educate seniors about road safety.

In an aim to further raise road safety awareness among the elderly, TP and the Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC), with the support of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the People’s Association (PA), also hosted a Road Safety Concert for seniors on 27 August 2022. 

More than 200 seniors attended the event, which included sharing sessions and exhibition booths with helpful road safety tips.

Against the backdrop of increasing traffic accidents, the SRSC has since raised $500,000 in 2022 to make roads safer and address the increase in traffic accidents in Singapore.

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Teo Yin Yan
Email: [email protected]