Hard News-Road Traffic Accident!
The Bullet Times
Where every seconds counts
24th September, 2005
“Forth road accident involving school children in 2 weeks”
Singapore
- A 9 year old boy was hit by a taxi yesterday when he failed to stop at a slope.
The incident happens at Woodlands Street 41 at about
3.46pm
. 9 year old Mohd Rizal was cycling towards a T-junction and as he was reaching a down slope, he did not stop the bike as he did not have any brakes on the bike itself.
The taxi was travelling along the street when suddenly Mohd Rizal appeared right in front of him. “ I slammed on my brake hard trying to avoid the collision, but too late.” Said the taxi driver Mr. Vijay. “ It’s so unlucky for me today, I just started my shift 1 hour ago and now accident.”
The ambulance crew from Woodlands Fire Station arrived 7 minutes after the 1st report was made by SSGT. Foo Yiing Kai, an off duty SCDF D.A.R.T regular . “I was at home when I heard the loud impact, I came out of my flat and I saw a kid sitting on the road about 3 meters away from the taxi, the bike was wrecked”, he said. He was the first to arrived at the scene equipped with a small medical kit.
SCDF paramedics conducted primary examination on Mohd Rizal on the scene and found no visible injuries on him. His parents arrived shortly after being notified by their relative passing by the area. He was later sent to the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for further examinations.
A passer-by who declined to be named, claims that this area was a place where accident is waiting to happen. “they(cyclist) like to zoom down from the slope and cut into the main road without even stopping to check on the traffic”.
“Just take a look at the boy’s bike, the bicycle is not properly equipped with the proper hardware, he doesn’t even have a brake on his bike!” “Their parents shouldn’t have allowed him to ride on a bike with such conditions”, another passer-by who only want to be known as Ms. Tan comments.
The chairman of the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association Mr. Martin Koh Wei Ming advices all the cyclist to have their bike properly equipped or checked before heading for the road. “Each and every parents is responsible for the safety of their own kids, please do not allow your children to ride on an unsafe bicycle”.
Paramedics checking on the victim with SSGT. Foo assistance.
This is the forth accident involving children below the age of 13 within the past two weeks. On 12th September, 7 year old Lim Wei Hean was killed while he was crossing the road along Jalan Bukit Krishun, 16th September, 8 year old Chen Jie Xin a Chinese national was injured by a motorcycle which failed to stopped at a zebra crossing at Tampines Ave 8 and on 21st September a 11 year old American, Thomas Antonio was hit by a car while he was playing outside his house at Serangoon Garden Way.
The traffic police are still investigating the above cases. If you have any information regarding any of the accidents please call the traffic police at 1800-2543200.
Word Count: 523 words
Story based on actual account witnessed by Raven Foo.
Paragraphs / stories in italic are non-facture
Reported by Raven Foo.
Photo by by Raven Foo.
