Two other work-mates hitched a ride as well.

However, when the white Nissan Cefiro he was in crashed into a bus stop Choon Seng was the only one seriously injured. It's believed the car skidded out of control.

Choon Seng, who was asleep when the car accident occured, has been hospitalised for severe head injuries at the National University Hospital.

He has not regained consciousness since the accident and is currently in the intensive care unit.

The driver, who is in her early 40s, and the three other passengers, who are all in their late teens, escaped relatively unscathed.

One of the passengers in the car, who declined to be named, said that the accident occured barely five minutes after they had got into the car.

'Everything happened so suddenly, I didn't even know what was going on', he said.

All four managed to get out of the car, but realised something was wrong when they couldn't rouse Choon Seng.

At the hospital, his family and a steady stream of friends keep vigil.

Choon Seng, who was studying electrical engineering at ITE Bukit Batok, had stopped studying a year ago.

'He always took on jobs to earn money to pay for his own expenses,' said his father Mr B.T Khoo, 53, a hawker.

' Even when he was in school, he worked during the holidays. He's a very responsible boy.'

Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.