A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Leopard 2SG Main Battle Tank struck a traffic light stand while attempting to turn right onto North Bridge Road on 5 Jul 2025.
The incident occurred at 7:22pm during the National Day Parade (NDP) 2025 National Education Show 2 at the Padang.
Technical Issue Causes Tank to Strike Traffic Light During National Education Show
The tank was travelling down Parliament Place when it attempted to turn right onto the section of North Bridge Road in front of the Supreme Court, which was still open to traffic.
Part of North Bridge Road had been closed to vehicular traffic due to the NDP event.
A video of the incident, posted by SG Road Vigilante on Facebook, captured the moment the tank took too wide a turn and headed directly for the corner of the pavement.
The clip has been viewed over 600,000 times and drawn more than 1,500 reactions.
A crashing sound was heard as the tank made contact with the traffic light stand, followed by spectators gasping “Ohhh!”
The camera then panned towards the sound, showing the traffic lights visibly tilted to one side. Despite the impact, the traffic lights continued to function normally.
Tank Crew Follows Standard Procedures After Collision
After the collision, the tank took some time to drive away from the scene. While it managed to reverse quickly, the driver appeared to have difficulty steering the tank in the correct direction and it remained at the junction for a while before finally proceeding down North Bridge Road as intended.
Personnel who appeared to be from the organising committee were later seen inspecting the damage and taking photographs of the affected traffic light stand.
A Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) spokesperson confirmed the incident occurred following the Mobile Column segment of the National Day Parade 2025 National Education Show 2. The tank experienced a technical issue that resulted in contact with the traffic light stand.
The Leopard tank was travelling within the speed limit of 20kmh at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported and the tank remained within the cordoned area, away from the public throughout the incident.
The tank crew responded according to standard operating procedures and the vehicle was safely recovered with no damage.
The traffic light stand sustained only minor damage and has been repaired through collaboration between MINDEF, the NDP 2025 Executive Committee, and the Land Transport Authority.
Public Response and Ongoing Investigation
The Facebook video generated more than 500 comments, with reactions ranging from criticism to understanding. Some netizens suggested the driver would face punishment, while many others were forgiving, emphasising that mistakes happen and that it was important no one was hurt.
One commenter noted that rehearsals exist precisely to learn from such mistakes. Several contributors, including those who identified themselves as former technicians, suggested the incident was due to a mechanical failure rather than driver error.
MINDEF has confirmed that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
