Car crashes into Geylang shophouse, driver held after parang found

Occupants of upper unit evacuated; driver held after police find parang in vehicle

A car slammed into a Geylang shophouse in a pre-dawn crash on Saturday, severely damaging a pillar and leaving rubble everywhere.

The 28-year-old Singaporean driver escaped with only minor injuries to his left arm, but is facing further questioning after police uncovered a parang under the car's back seat.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the driver, who is a designer, denied owning the parang and claimed he did not know how it got there.

He said someone might have planted it in the car while he was being questioned by the police.

He was about to leave after being questioned at the scene for three hours when police found the knife and detained him.

The driver said he was looking for supper on his way home to Tampines when he lost control of the car.

It smashed into a bar on Geylang Road near Lorong 41 just after 3am. The bar had just closed for the night.

No one else was injured.

Witnesses reported that the collision startled residents in the vicinity, who thought there was an explosion.

Reports said that the police evacuated more than 10 occupants of the second-floor unit above the crash site for their safety after the pillar on the five-foot-way was destroyed in the crash.

The occupants were later allowed back into the premises.

A police spokesman said the driver is assisting in investigations.

davidee@sph.com.sg

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