A Singaporean Gojek driver who previously went viral for driving his car into a swimming pool at the Hillside Condominium back in February, has since been to two weeks’ jail.
Recap
On 28 February 2023 at about 9.10pm, a Gojek driver ended up driving into a swimming pool at a condominium in Bukit Timah after making a wrong turn while finding his way in the rain.
A resident who lives in the condominium, Luke, witnessed the car “going for a swim” and posted a video of it on TikTok, showing the car partially submerged in the pool.
He said that the driver of the white Honda was a PHV driver who was dropping off a passenger at the condominium at the time, at about 9pm.
It was raining heavily at the time and visibility was low.
Luke said that it all started when the passenger allegedly told the driver to turn into a path that was only meant for pedestrians, and the path led to the swimming pool.
The route was only meant for pedestrians and not vehicles, and a security guard told the driver to reverse his car out of there.
The driver then proceeded to perform a three-point turn in order to leave the path, managing to turn his car onto a grass patch and somehow managed to avoid hitting the poolside chairs and tables.
However, things then took a turn for the worst when he was at the final stage of his three-point turn but he accidentally stepped on the gas, driving straight into the swimming pool.
He then tried to reverse his car out of the swimming pool but couldn’t do so because the front tyres had already gotten stuck on the stairs inside the water.
The car was eventually pulled out of the pool by a tow truck at about midnight, and the driver escaped unharmed.
@marketplaceforads The 2023 Hillside Condo Car Pooling incident Singapore. A new meaning to what carpooling means. #singapore #singaporetiktok #mothership #singapore #fyp ♬ èŠæ¯”q了 – 邓家å¿
The Hillside said in a statement that the driver who drove into their swimming pool was a Gojek driver and that they are seeking legal advice for the damage caused.
The driver had reportedly hit some potted plants as well.
The Hillside said that they have reached out to Gojek regarding the claim for property damage, although it is unclear how badly the pool was damaged from the incident.
They investigated the incident and found out that the passenger was a woman who was visiting her family living in the condominium.
The management said in their statement that the driver had initially driven through the main entrance of the condominium before turning right into a dead end.
Their CCTV footage showed that the car remained stationary before moving into a narrow pathway that was meant for pedestrians only, leading towards the clubhouse beside the swimming pool.
The driver drove on the pedestrian path before coming to a stop at the clubhouse.
The condominium alleged that the driver was approached by a security guard, who told him to reverse his car, but he purportedly drove forwards instead, before turning right and ending up inside the pool.
The driver then alighted from his submerged car and told the guard that he was a Gojek driver.
Gojek said that they are looking into the case and are speaking to the customer and the driver to resolve the issue and take action.
They emphasized their desire to provide a “safe and positive” experience for everyone.