A 72-year-old van driver died after losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a covered walkway near Redhill MRT earlier this afternoon (27 March), according to The Straits Times.
His van had skidded before crashing, and he had to be extricated from the driver’s seats by rescuers, before being sent to the hospital unconscious, where he later died.
Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had to use hydraulic rescue equipment to free him from the wreckage, before sending him to Singapore General Hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the SCDF said that they were alerted to an accident earlier today at about 3.20 pm, near 920 Tiong Bahru Road.
A passer-by who witnessed the accident, Mr Teng Hau Hin, told Straits Times that SCDF paramedics were performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the unconscious van driver for more than 20 minutes.
53-year-old Teng, who works as a security officer, told ST that he was on his way home after finishing his work when he saw the van travelling at a high speed when turning the corner of Jalan Tiong to Tiong Bahru Road.
He immediately got out of the way because he had sensed that there was danger, and watched on as the van, a silver-coloured Toyota, crashed into the covered walkway in front of him, near the Redhill MRT station.
He said that had he not been alert to the van, he would have died.
Teng added that following the crash, there was smoke coming from the van, and another passer-by then went to turn off the engine of the vehicle.
The van was seen in photos with its windshield shattered and the left signal light at the back damaged as it rested on the pavement beside a traffic light.
Some parts of the sheltered walkway’s roof and beam, as well as the barrier and the signal head of the traffic light, were also seen damaged in the accident.
The Singapore Police Force said that they are currently investigating the accident.