70-year-old among four taken to hospital after accident involving private ambulance on KJE
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The accident involved a private ambulance, a lorry, a tipper truck and a van on the KJE towards the PIE after Sungei Tengah on April 29.
PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER
SINGAPORE – Three passengers and the driver of a private ambulance were taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle accident on the KJE, towards the PIE after Sungei Tengah, on April 29.
The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force were alerted to the accident, involving the ambulance, a lorry, a tipper truck and a van, at about 9.05am.
The 56-year-old ambulance driver and his three passengers, aged between 41 and 70, were taken conscious to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, the authorities said in response to queries from The Straits Times. Police investigations are ongoing.
The ambulance driver was quoted by Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News as saying that a collision first occurred between two vehicles in front of him, prompting him to hit the brakes. Despite this, he was unable to stop the ambulance from colliding with a van in front of him.
Another vehicle then crashed into the rear of the ambulance.
Photos of the incident shared by a Shin Min Daily News reader show an ambulance sandwiched between a purple van with a severely damaged bonnet and a tipper truck.
Another photo shows a man with a blue face mask lying on the floor of the ambulance, with what appear to be small pieces of shattered glass around him. A grey-haired woman in a red shirt is also seen on the floor, with her legs propped up on a seat in the vehicle.
Three passengers and the driver of a private ambulance on the way from Bethany Nursing Home in Choa Chu Kang to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital were taken to hospital. Three of them have been discharged.
PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS READER
Grace Ambulance & Services, which operates the private ambulance, told ST that the passengers were on the way from Bethany Nursing Home in Choa Chu Kang to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for a medical appointment when the accident occurred.
One of them was a resident at the nursing home, accompanied by a medic and a nursing home staff member.
Mr Martin Wong, a community first responder, said on Facebook later that day that he came across the four-vehicle pile-up while he was on the way to collect vegetables for a charity in Toa Payoh, and stopped to help.
“The drivers appeared shaken and disoriented, so I directed one person to call 995 and another to help with traffic marshalling. The private ambulance, which appeared to have been sandwiched in the collision, was badly smashed,” he said.
Three people appeared injured, said Mr Wong.
Among them was an elderly woman who had difficulty moving and a nursing aide on board the ambulance, who were conscious and able to communicate, he added.
The most serious casualty was a man lying on the floorboard of the ambulance, who was bleeding and drifting in and out of consciousness, said Mr Wong.
“I checked his breathing, reassured him, cut his jeans to assess his injured left leg, and suspected a possible fracture. I then applied a splint and bandage for support.”
The nursing home resident is still under observation at the hospital, while the three other people have been discharged.
A spokesperson for the nursing home said, in response to queries, that it was offering its assistance.
“We are in close contact with our resident’s next-of-kin and are providing our full support during this time. Her well-being remains our utmost priority.”
