21 taken to hospital after bus hits road blocker at Terminal 3; Certis officer taken off duty
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The accident occurred when a road blocker was suddenly deployed after a security barrier was lifted to allow the bus to proceed.
SCREENGRAB: SG ROAD VIGILANTE/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE - A Certis officer has been taken off duty after being involved in an incident on May 21 where a road blocker was mistakenly activated, resulting in 21 people on board a bus being taken to hospital after the vehicle crashed into the contraption at Changi Airport Terminal 3.
In response to queries, a Certis spokesman said its initial investigations show that an anti-terrorist vehicle barrier had been wrongly activated, and that the officer who was taken off duty is assisting the police in their investigations.
The spokesman stressed that officers are trained to follow strict protocols in operating the barrier.
The accident, which involved bus service 858, occurred at about 12.40pm when a road blocker was suddenly deployed after a security barrier was lifted to allow the bus to proceed, said Mr Glenn Lim, the director of communications and customer experience at bus operator Tower Transit.
He added that the bus driver and 21 passengers sustained injuries, and that the incident is being investigated.
Tower Transit is trying to reach out to the injured passengers and their families to provide assistance, and those involved in the incident can also contact the bus operator, Mr Lim said.
In response to queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the police said it was alerted to a road traffic accident in Changi Airport Terminal 3 Arrival Drive at about 12.40pm.
The 21 people, comprising the 25-year-old bus driver and 20 passengers, aged between 21 and 68, were conscious when they were taken to three hospitals – Sengkang General Hospital, Raffles Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
The police are investigating the accident.
Four Certis employees were among the bus passengers, said the Certis spokesman, who added that management representatives have visited the injured at the various hospitals, and will continue to provide support.
“We will also continue to provide full cooperation with ongoing police investigations,” he added.
In a video shared on Facebook page SG Road Vigilante, passengers on board the bus can be seen looking disoriented, with some sitting on the ground.
A passenger is seen with a cut on her forehead, with bloodied tissues lying by her side.
