Driver of Van Crushed by Falling Crane in Sengkang Had Jumped Out Seconds Before The Accident

By
Shernice Sim
-
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Some people say that Spidey Senses do not exist, but maybe a form of it does kick in for all of us during an emergency.

To this man, it may have very well saved his life. 

At around 5PM on Tuesday, 9 April 2024, a crane collapsed at a construction site in Sengkang. The construction vehicle had narrowly missed the driver of a small van waiting at a red light. Fortunately, the driver escaped unharmed.

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The van, however, was completely pancaked by the force of a crane’s arm slamming down onto it.

Driver of Van Escaped in the Nick of Time

Eyewitnesses of the incident reported that the crane was being loaded up onto a truck, when it began moving and started to tilt over. 

It is speculated that the driver of the van had seen the crane swaying over him, and fled the vehicle to the other side of the road sensing imminent danger. 

The resulting scene saw the yellow-and-red crane lying on its side. The crane’s boom was stretched out across the length of two lanes of the road, and the white van was crushed at the end of it.

(It looked like a soda can after being stepped on… It’s such a punch to the gut when you realise what could have happened if the driver had still been ferrying children at that time.)

Injured but still conscious at the time of the arrival of emergency medical workers, the 28-year-old driver was quickly taken to Sengkang General Hospital for treatment. 

When inquired by the press, an acquaintance of the driver had revealed that he had dropped off a child right before the incident happened.

Though not gravely injured, the driver was still reported to be in “terrible pain” at his shoulder and back of his head.

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The Aftermath of the Incident

A spokesperson for the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to the incident at around 4:55PM on Tuesday.

Upon arrival, traffic police were dispatched and roadblocks were set up to redirect and manage the traffic from the accident site.

Though investigations are still ongoing, the 49-year-old crane operator was arrested for suspected negligence during machinery operation. 

A notice on the construction site’s hoarding indicated that it’s a project by the Public Utilities Board (PUB), managed by Building Construction Co.

According to a PUB spokesperson, the site is undergoing construction for a public sewer. Building Construction Co will assist the police and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in their investigations.

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Jack Wong, a representative from Building Construction Co, confirmed that the crane belongs to Ten-League, a construction equipment company. Media bodies have subsequently reached out to them for inquiries.

Around 7:20PM, a group of at least six construction workers in fluorescent vests and helmets arrived at the accident site.

As of 2AM in the morning of 10 April, the road where the incident took place is still inaccessible to traffic, and efforts are underway to recover both the crane and the van from the site.

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Shernice Sim