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TRAIL OF WRECKAGE: The trailer careered into a van, flipped on its side, and unleashed five huge slabs, one of which caused a three-car pile-up. The crash resulted in a six-hour traffic snarl. -- LIM WUI LIANG
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CABBY Ng Eng Tian, driving behind a massive concrete-laden trailer on Saturday afternoon, saw it veer between lanes and slowed down immediately.
Hitting the brakes saved his life, he said.
Seconds later, the trailer careered into the van ahead of it, flipped on its side, and unleashed five slabs - each the size of a wall and weighing 11/2tonnes - on the heavy Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) traffic.
'Thankfully, I slowed down, or I would have died,' said Mr Ng, 53.
That no one was killed or seriously injured in the accident was sheer luck.
The accident has prompted National Safety Council president Tan Jin Thong to call for more care to be taken by those operating heavy vehicles with large loads.
Pointing to the recent accident, he said: 'For this type of vehicle, the concrete should be strapped down. The ropes or chains may not have been tight enough.'
He said if they were tight, 'the concrete would not have been flung so far'.
Each 2m-by-2m slab weighed about 1,400kg - equivalent to the weight of an average saloon car.
It is not clear whether the slabs were secured or how this was done.
One landed square on top of a van, narrowly missing its driver, who received outpatient treatment at National University Hospital.
The crash, which occurred at about 4.55pm just before the Stevens Road exit, left a trail of destruction on both sides of the expressway, leading to a massive six-hour traffic snarl.
Trees, metal railings and a lamp post along the central divider were splintered. One concrete slab, which was flung as far as the opposite side of the expressway, also caused a three-car pile-up.
The wreckage was so hefty, it had to be removed by crane.
A Land Transport Authority spokesman said a crane was sent down to clear the debris at about 7pm that day, and put upright the toppled trailer two hours later.
The driver of the trailer, who escaped unscathed, is helping police with investigations.
The company he works for declined comment when contacted yesterday.
Some heavy vehicles need special approval to ply the roads, and some even need auxiliary police escort. All have to keep to speed limits of 40kmh to 60kmh.
Keen to save time and money, however, drivers and companies often flout the law.
No official figures were available at press time, but Mr Tan, for example, said he had seen many heavy vehicles speeding along the expressway or travelling in the middle or right-hand lanes.
'Even if the trailer is empty, it should not travel above its speed limit,' he said.
A spokesman for security company Certis Cisco said some heavy vehicles flout the rules, which require them to be escorted by auxiliary police, who help ensure a smooth journey and regulate the speed of the vehicle.
First-time offenders face up to three years in jail and a $2,000 fine. A driver may also lose his licence for more than a year.
carolynq@sph.com.sg
simlinoi@sph.com.sg
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