Earlier this year, many Singaporeans were left heartbroken, enraged and seeking answers when the life of four-year-old Zara Mei Orlic was abruptly taken by a fatal accident on Institution Hill.
This tragic event occurred on 23 January 2024, when Zara was hit by a car while crossing the road with her maid and younger sister.
The coroner’s inquiry, which took place on 26 June, has shed light on the circumstances leading to this unfortunate incident.
The Day of the Accident
On that fateful day, Zara’s maid was tasked with fetching her and her two-year-old sister from preschool. The family lived in a condominium on Institution Hill, which is a short walk from River Valley Road.
Institution Hill is a road with two lanes and has no pedestrian crossings.
Despite explicit and repeated instructions from Zara’s parents to avoid crossing that road, the maid had failed to comply and frequently jaywalked with the children.
Investigations revealed that the maid had been with the family since October 2023.
At around 4:57PM on the day of the accident, as the maid was returning home with the girls, they approached Institution Hill. At that time, the maid was carrying both girls’ school bags and holding the younger sister’s hand.
She had allowed Zara, who she had described to be an “independent child,” to walk ahead.
As Zara crossed the road between two stationary cars, a vehicle turning right into Institution Hill struck her.
The Immediate Aftermath of the Incident
The driver, a 40-year-old woman who had just picked up her own two children from school, did not see Zara until it was too late.
According to Traffic Police Station Inspector Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman, the car was not travelling at a high speed. In-car camera footage showed Zara appearing for only about one second before the collision.
The driver reportedly felt her car hit something, looked in the rearview mirror, and realised she had struck a child. She immediately stopped the vehicle and rushed to Zara, who lay motionless on the road.
The maid was about three steps behind Zara and screamed for the car to stop but to no avail.
Zara’s father had previously shared with the press that when he arrived at the scene, Zara’s skull was shattered, and she was bleeding heavily from her nose, mouth, and head.
After emergency services were called at around 5PM, Zara was taken to Singapore General Hospital. She tragically succumbed to her injuries later that evening, with the doctors informing Zara’s father that her injuries were “not survivable”.
The autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was a head injury consistent with a motor vehicle collision.
The maid was also treated separately for trauma.
During the inquiry, SI Firdaus mentioned that if the maid had followed the parents’ instructions, she would have taken a safer route, avoiding the need to cross Institution Hill entirely.
This route would have involved walking about 200 metres from the preschool to a signalised pedestrian crossing.
The driver, whose name was not disclosed, was arrested following the incident but was not found to be distracted or speeding at the time of the accident.
SI Firdaus testified that there were no signs of foul play and that the driver’s view of Zara might have been obstructed by the stationary vehicles. The driver remained at the scene and cooperated fully with the authorities.
Legal Proceedings
Zara’s parents, represented by lawyer Alfred Lim, attended the coroner’s inquiry, where they listened in anguish as the details of their daughter’s death were recounted.
The family is now considering their legal options based on the coroner’s findings, which are expected to be delivered on 5 July.
The coroner’s findings will be determined by the Attorney-General’s Chambers on whether any further legal action will be taken against the driver or the maid.
It is reported that the maid is still working for the Orlic family.
Community Response
The tragic loss of Zara, who was beloved by the community, had thoroughly shaken the neighbourhood. Residents had honoured her memory by laying flowers and plush toys around the site of the accident.
She was described to be “everyone’s daughter” by the people around her.
Residents in the River Valley area also began to call for improved road safety measures in order to prevent such accidents in the future.
In January 2024, Member of Parliament for the area Ms Joan Pereira told the press that she had relayed residents’ feedback and suggestions to the relevant authorities.
She mentioned that due to the winding nature of River Valley Road, the LTA has been prompted to install additional traffic lights at several spots to deal with blind spots.
For the curved and sloping roads like Institution Hill, authorities are assessing the feasibility of installing speed humps or regulating strips.
Ms Pereira also urged both drivers and pedestrians to always be alert and to adopt safe practices.
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