Netizens debate whether Toh Guan Road accident on video was staged

The video, filmed on a dashboard camera, showed the driver of the white Volkswagen Polo (left) hitting his brakes repeatedly and switching lanes quickly in front of the car (right), before braking abruptly, apparently resulting in the crash.
The video, filmed on a dashboard camera, showed the driver of the white Volkswagen Polo (above) hitting his brakes repeatedly and switching lanes quickly in front of the car, before braking abruptly, apparently resulting in the crash. PHOTO: ROADS.SG/ FACEBOOK
The video, filmed on a dashboard camera, showed the driver of the white Volkswagen Polo (left) hitting his brakes repeatedly and switching lanes quickly in front of the car (right), before braking abruptly, apparently resulting in the crash.
The video, filmed on a dashboard camera, showed the driver of the white Volkswagen Polo hitting his brakes repeatedly and switching lanes quickly in front of the car (above), before braking abruptly, apparently resulting in the crash. PHOTO: ROADS.SG/ FACEBOOK

A video of an accident in Toh Guan Road last month has sparked discussion among netizens, who questioned if it was staged by the driver for insurance claims.

The video, which was filmed on a dashboard camera and lasted about two minutes, showed the driver of a white Volkswagen Polo hitting his brakes repeatedly along a stretch of the road on June 17.

Since it was uploaded onto road community Facebook page Roads.sg last Thursday, it has received about 295,000 views and more than 4,600 shares.

The driver of the Volkswagen is seen entering the leftmost lane from a slip road, before suddenly applying his brakes.

His action forced the driver behind him, who was filming the events, to hit the brakes as well, narrowly avoiding a collision.

This happened once more before the Volkswagen driver is seen picking up speed and driving ahead.

The driver behind continued on his journey in the right lane but the Volkswagen is later seen switching lanes quickly in front of the car, before braking abruptly yet again.

Unable to stop in time, the car crashed into the back of the Volkswagen, denting its rear bumper.

Both drivers stepped out of their vehicles to take photos of the accident. An argument appeared to ensue, though no audio was captured by the camera.

Many Facebook users have expressed doubts in the comments that the accident was genuine.

Ricky Neo Wee Hock suggested that the driver of the Volkswagen had deliberately caused the accident as he had no reason to cut in front of the other car.

Others, such as Facebook user Jonathan Lyod, have suggested that both drivers were at fault.

He wrote: "The Volkswagen is being driven very erratically and the (motorist in the) car with the camera seems to be responding aggressively. Much better to keep your distance and drive defensively when you encounter bad drivers."

The police confirm a report was lodged and investigations are ongoing.

In February, former car-workshop owner Su Chia Ern was jailed three years and four months for staging accidents and recruiting people to submit fake claims.

The 45-year-old was one of the brains behind a motor-insurance fraud syndicate that submitted false claims of about $380,000 in relation to nine staged accidents.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 19, 2016, with the headline Netizens debate whether Toh Guan Road accident on video was staged. Subscribe