Actor Chen Hanwei worried about cyclist injured from collision with his car

SINGAPORE – Actor Chen Hanwei has said he is very concerned about a cyclist involved in a collision with his car in a recent accident.

The Malaysia-born, Singapore-based Mediacorp artiste was accused by the male cyclist for not signalling when he drove into his apartment complex, causing the cyclist to lose his balance and fall.

A teacher identified only as Mr Zhuo told Shin Min Daily News that he was riding a bicycle on Irrawaddy Road in Balestier when the incident happened on the afternoon of Aug 8.

“I was riding on the far left lane at the time,” he said. “I rode on the left for safety as I have travelled on that road before and there were quite a few cars.”

He recounted that he was cycling straight ahead on the day of the accident, and there was a car in front of him.

“The car suddenly slowed down, then turned left and prepared to drive into a condominium,” Mr Zhuo said. “I couldn’t stop in time and hit the left side of the car. I lost my balance and fell off the bike.”

Mr Zhuo said Chen did not signal at the time, so he had no idea the actor was going to turn left.

According to photos provided by Mr Zhuo to Shin Min, Mr Zhuo suffered bruises on his right arm and cuts on his left leg.

He realised that the driver was Chen only after the award-winning veteran star left the car and came over to him.

“He didn’t apologise at the time, but just kept asking me if I was fine,” Mr Zhuo said. “But I felt he didn’t really care about me, but just wanted to make sure I was fine to prove that he was not responsible.”

Mr Zhuo said he wanted to resolve the issue privately, but Chen did not admit responsibility and was unwilling to exchange contact information.

Chen, 54, admitted to Lianhe Zaobao on Aug 15 that he did not signal, but had slowed down while turning into his apartment complex. 

He said he got out of the car immediately to check on the cyclist and had no intention of shirking responsibility. He added that his concern was “genuine”.

Chen said: “I saw that he was not wearing a helmet at the time, so I was very worried that he could have hurt his head. I asked him three times if he was okay and if he was injured. I even offered to take him to see a doctor.”

He said once the cyclist recognised him, the latter began filming him with his mobile phone.

Chen said: “I didn’t take out my mobile phone to film him. But the other party didn’t stop (filming), so I told him, ‘Why don’t we call the police?’” 

Chen said he returned to his car to use his mobile phone to call the police, but Mr Zhuo left the scene before the police arrived. Mr Zhuo told Shin Min he was in a hurry and therefore left the scene first. “I did report the incident later,” he said. 

Chen told Zaobao: “I wanted to chase after (Mr Zhuo), but he ran away in a hurry and left the rented bicycle on the road. When the police arrived, I told them that I was willing to take responsibility if it was my fault. If the other party was at fault, I hoped he would not be penalised or just compensate me for the cost of painting (my car).”

Chen – who flew to Hat Yai, Thailand, on Aug 15 to film a new drama – revealed the incident happened one day after his mother’s funeral on Aug 7. She

died at the age of 90 on July 27.

“I came out to speak about this not to try to pursue anything or avoid responsibility, but (I hope others) can be fair and not put artistes down whenever an incident involves them,” Chen said.

“For me, the whole thing is actually a small accident and we should work together to deal with the issue maturely. The most important thing is that the other party was not injured, and everyone is safe and sound.”

The police said they were alerted to an accident involving a car and bicycle at 4.20pm on Aug 8. A 33-year-old male cyclist suffered minor injuries, but did not seek medical assistance. Police investigations are ongoing.