Security Guard Had Given Instructions to PHV Driver Who Drove into Condo Swimming Pool

By now, you might have heard of the Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) driver who took his car for a swim when dropping a passenger off at her condominium block.

Yes, he didn’t find being caught in the constant rain enough; he had to get a swim.

And now, it’s been revealed that the condominium’s security guard had given the driver instructions regarding how to drive within the condominium’s premises.

However, the security guard’s advice fell on deaf ears as the driver drove his car right into the swimming pool.

Here’s what happened.

Driver Drove Into Swimming Pool at Bukit Timah Condo

On Tuesday (28 February) night, a driver driving a white Honda was sending a passenger back to The Hillside, a condominium complex in Upper Bukit Timah.

The passenger on board was a 79-year-old woman taking a PHV for the first time from Sengkang to the condominium to visit her great-grandchildren.

Her granddaughter had booked the ride for her via the Gojek application at approximately 7.30 pm and expected her to arrive at around 8 pm.

However, the granddaughter noticed that her grandmother had yet to arrive by 8.30 pm and called her, only to find out that there was a delay.

As a result of the heavy rain and getting lost, the driver ended up taking around two hours before being able to drive into the condominium.

However, instead of letting the woman get out of the car, the driver drove right into the swimming pool.

This was despite the passenger’s reminders that there was a swimming pool in front of them, and the passenger speculated that the driver might have thought that there was a puddle of water in front of them instead.

Afterwards, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage showed the driver driving right into the swimming pool after driving into various potted plants.

The bumper and front tires of the car ended up being submerged in the swimming pool.

After seeing the car crash into the pool, the passenger got out of the car immediately out of fear and approached the security guard for help.

By this point, it was already around 9.20 pm.

Driver Continued to Drive Even After Security Guard Warned Him

Before turning into the pedestrian walkway, the PHV driver knocked down the potted plants that lined the walkway’s entrance and drove towards the condominium’s clubhouse.

And if you’re wondering how a car can fit into a pedestrian walkway, the management clarified that the pedestrian walkway is more spacious as it is also used for emergency fire engine access.

At this point, the security guard spotted the vehicle. Hence, he went up to the driver and knocked on the vehicle’s window.

The security guard told the driver to reverse his car and leave the condominium’s premises like that.

However, the driver did not listen to the security guard’s instructions and continued to drive forward until he drove into the swimming pool.

CCTV footage also showed that the driver drove into the swimming pool at around 9.09 pm, and the passenger got out of the door on the rear left of the car before asking for help.

When speaking to Shin Min, the passenger added that the driver looked like he was in his 60s.

Condo Management’s Response

In a statement released yesterday (3 March), The Hillside’s management stated that there are three blocks in the condominium complex: Block 341, 343 and 345.

There are also multiple pick-up or drop-off points within the complex.

The PHV driver’s destination was Block 343, but he drove towards Block 341 after entering the complex via the main entrance.

After stopping in front of the road leading to the underground car park, the driver turned right into the pedestrian walkway that led to the clubhouse and swimming pool.

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Condo Management Seeking Legal Advice

The management added that they are “seeking legal advice to claim for property damage that the car has caused” and have been in contact with Gojek since the incident to verify the driver’s identity and to ask for compensation.

Gojek also told The Straits Times that it is aware of the incident and is handling the issue.

The condominium has also placed even more potted plants to block off part of the pedestrian walkway.