SINGAPORE - Heavy vehicles have been involved in a number of accidents recently, with one on Wednesday morning causing the closure of a Pan Island Expressway exit for 10 hours. Here are three accidents that occurred in just the past month.
1. Trailer truck hits wheelchair user
April 27: A wheelchair user was knocked down by a truck on his way to the factory where he lived. Mr Lim Chin Huat, 44, had just bought lunch when he was hit while crossing Sungei Kadut Street 6 at about noon. He was taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where he died on May 18.
"We thought he was all right, but he slipped into a coma about a week after the accident and was transferred to the intensive care unit. Later, he was in a vegetative state. I believe the accident worsened his other health problems," said his brother, 43-year-old Lim Chin Hwee, a storekeeper.
2. Four hurt in bus, tipper truck, trailer collision
May 19: Four people were injured after an SBS Transit bus, tipper truck and a trailer collided into one another on May 19 on the Seletar Expressway.
The bus driver, two passengers from the bus, and the trailer driver were taken conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital. Around 30 people got out of the bus before the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived on the scene.
The drivers had to be extricated using hydraulic rescue tools by the SCDF. The accident resulted in a massive jam stretching up to 2km and lasting over two hours.
3. Lorry passenger dies in crash
April 28: A lorry crashed into the back of a parked trailer at Changi Coast Road around noon. The trailer driver had stopped his vehicle to check the map.
A 32-year-old lorry passenger was trapped in his seat and had to be extricated from the tangle of metal by the SCDF. He was pronounced dead by an on-site doctor.
The 51-year-old lorry driver was arrested for causing death by a negligent act. There were no other reported injuries and police investigations are ongoing.
