A 55-year-old SBS Transit bus captain was killed in a fatal bus accident after losing control of his bus and crashing into a tree on 9 October last year.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda delivered his findings during a coroner’s inquiry hearing on Monday (10 April), finding no evidence of foul play but also not being able to determine why the driver had lost control of his bus.
The bus driver, 55-year-old Singaporean Liu Shan Liung, was driving his empty bus towards Hougang Bus Depot at the time of the accident, driving along Defu Avenue 1 and heading towards Hougang Avenue 3 at about 2.47am in the morning.
He then crashed his bus into a tree outside the entrance of the bus depot.
The bus was seen in the bus depot’s CCTV footage turning into the depot but missing the entrance and driving onto a grass patch along the perimeter fence of the bus depot instead, before hitting a road sign and traffic light but continuing to drive forward for about 100 metres before ultimately crashing into a tree.
A security guard at the bus depot had seen the bus driving past him at the time before hearing a loud bang shortly after, and he then immediately called for an ambulance before checking on the driver and finding him trapped in the driver’s seat.
Rescuers and paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force were then deployed to extricate the trapped driver and they took about an hour to pull him out of the wreckage, but by the time they freed the driver, he already had no signs of life and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Liu’s autopsy showed that he had died from multiple injuries sustained from the traffic accident, and nothing out of the ordinary was found in his urine, blood and stomach; he was however found with occluded arteries, although there was no evidence to suggest that he had a medical emergency before the fatal crash.
The bus was also sent to an investigator to see if there were any mechanical faults and all was normal, with the investigator finding that the engine and tyres of the bus were in serviceable condition – however, steering and brake tests were not able to be performed.
The braking and steering parts were determined to be in good condition though, according to visual inspections, and there was also no evidence of any mechanical faults that might have caused the accident.
The deceased’s wife was also interviewed by police investigators and he was determined to have not had any disputes with anyone and was mentally well.
His wife also revealed that Liu suffered from high blood pressure but it was managed with medication, and he also had a clean traffic record, with the police determining that there was no foul play suspected.
State Coroner Nakhoda ruled his death as a traffic misadventure and offered his condolences to his family and three children, who are still studying.
Recap
A SBS Transit bus driver was killed in a traffic accident on 9 October 2022 at about 2.47am, along Defu Avenue 1 heading towards Hougang Avenue 3.
He had crashed the empty employees’ bus into a tree outside the Hougang bus depot.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that the driver was trapped in the seat and extricated by SCDF personnel, before being pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.
Photos and videos of the accident emerged online showing the bus with the windshield destroyed in the aftermath of the tragic accident.
SBS Transit said that the driver was driving the bus to the Hougang Depot at about 2.40am when it crashed into a tree outside the depot after losing control.
The vice president for customer experience and communications for SBS Transit, Grace Wu, said that they are deeply saddened by the driver’s passing and have extended their heartfelt condolences to his family.
She added that they are in close contact with them and will render all the support they need.