A heartwarming story unfolded as a group of Temasek Polytechnic students displayed exceptional bravery and compassion in the face of an unexpected crisis.
On a regular evening when they were simply heading out for dinner, destiny had a different plan for them. They witnessed a 4-car collision and got out of their bus to rescue a woman from one of the cars that was leaking fuel, and the woman later turned out to be a senior staff member from their school.
The Evening That Changed Lives
Adli Yazlani Bin Zainal, Marco Sim, Norvin Tan, and Lycia Goh, all 18-year-old students at the School of Informatics and IT in Temasek Polytechnic, were not anticipating that their evening would take such a dramatic turn.
On the evening of October 23, they had gathered to study and revise together after school. Once their study session concluded, they decided to hop on a bus and head out for dinner as a group.
However, as the clock ticked past 7:10 pm, their ordinary evening took a sudden and unexpected twist.
A loud crash near the polytechnic’s main gate grabbed their attention. It was an accident, a chain collision involving four cars, and it had just occurred right beside their bus.
From Shock to Action
The initial shock was palpable, as none of the students had ever witnessed a traffic accident in person before. However, their desire to help kicked in almost immediately.
Adli, Sim, Tan, and Goh made a unanimous decision to take action. At the next bus stop, the east gate of Temasek Polytechnic, they alighted and hurried over to the accident site to offer assistance.
A Heroic Effort Unfolds
Adli’s quick thinking played a crucial role in this situation. He noticed that one of the affected cars had fuel leaking out, creating a potentially hazardous situation.
Without hesitation, he rushed to the vehicle and knocked on the window, trying to communicate with the woman inside. She was conscious but appeared to be in a state of shock from the crash.
Adli tried to communicate the urgency of the situation and urged her to get out of the car immediately. He not only helped her out of the car but also retrieved her shoes, which had been thrown to the front of the car from the collision.
Sim, Tan, and Goh joined the effort, assisting in carrying the woman to a nearby grass patch while Adli took on the role of signaling passing vehicles to maintain a safe distance and prevent any further accidents, as they called for an ambulance as well.
The quartet spoke to the woman and tried to calm her down, while also checking on her condition. there were also 4 other drivers and 2 passengers involved in the crash, with the last car suffering the most serious damage from the crash, although the driver of that vehicle was uninjured.
The Unforeseen Connection
As events unfolded, the students were unaware that the woman they had rescued was none other than Assistant Director for Academic & Student Development at their school, Ms Gail Goodenough.
She had been involved in the accident while in a Grab ride, which had come to a stop at a traffic light when a speeding car had hit her car from behind, triggering a chain reaction involving four cars.
Goodenough revealed that she suffered minor injuries to her tailbone and right lung, as well as some scars and bruises from the accident.
She was treated at the hospital before being discharged and was present during an awards ceremony for the four students, who received Certificates of Commendation by the school for their heroic rescue, and she expressed her gratitude to the group of teenagers.