No serious accidents, deaths between 2019 and 2023 at junction of Tampines fatal crash: Amy Khor
SINGAPORE – There were no accidents resulting in serious injuries or fatalities from 2019 to 2023 at the junction in Tampines where a fatal six-vehicle crash happened on April 22.
She added that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) did not receive feedback on safety issues at the junction before the crash, and that it had been designed according to international safety standards.
“These include sufficient line of sight for road users to see each other clearly, and appropriate road kerbs, lane and arrow markings installed conspicuously,” said Dr Khor.
Eight MPs filed 11 questions to the Home Affairs and Transport ministries about road safety, with several asking about the adequacy of penalties to deter dangerous driving.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said the top causes of fatal accidents in Singapore between 2019 and 2023 were drivers’ failure to keep a proper lookout and their failure to control their vehicles adequately.
Associate Professor Faishal said the Tampines accident shocked and angered many Singaporeans.
He said an average of three fatal accidents per year, or about 2.4 per cent of fatal accidents annually, were investigated under the offence of reckless or dangerous driving causing death.
Annually, an average of 29 fatal accidents, or 27 per cent, were speeding-related.
He noted that the number of accidents that led to deaths rose by around 12 per cent from 117 in 2019 to 131 in 2023.
Three MPs – Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) and Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) – asked if there was a need to review existing penalties under the Road Traffic Act.
First-time offenders convicted of dangerous driving causing death can be jailed for between two and eight years, and be disqualified from driving for 10 years. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to 15 years.
Prof Faishal said the Ministry of Home Affairs stiffened penalties significantly in 2019.
He said: “What the laws provide today are already quite stiff. We do regularly review different aspects of the framework.
“In this context, we have been studying the adequacy of composition amounts and the demerit points framework.”
The Traffic Police (TP) had said on Feb 20that it would be increasing the composition sums – the sum of money paid to settle an offence without going to court – and demerit points for certain traffic offences. More details will be announced in 2024.
On May 7, Dr Khor told Parliament that LTA reviewed the safety of the junction in Tampines after the accident and will not be making enhancements at this time.
She added: “We will wait for TP’s investigations to conclude and review again if measures need to be taken. This is the approach we take for all locations where serious accidents have occurred.”
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) asked if public education efforts could focus on improving the driving culture in Singapore, which she noted has a “certain permissive attitude towards speeding”.
From her experience, cars honk and overtake when she is driving at the speed limit on the first lane of a highway. In other countries, Ms Lim said, motorists honk at speedsters to slow down.
Prof Faishal agreed with her suggestion, saying motorists here need to realise they are sharing the road with others and have to be more careful when driving.
Meanwhile, someone who purports to be the white Mercedes driver has put out a WOT to account for his apparently reckless challenging of the black Saab which led up to the accident itself....
A social media post allegedly written by the actual driver of the white Mercedes Benz trying to “rationalise and clear up obvious misconceptions” also fanned the flames and worsened the situation for Mr Soon.
On this, Mr Soon said that the post could not have been written by the driver of the white Mercedes-Benz, describing the driver as a man in his 50s who spoke in Mandarin and understood little English. Mr Soon added that the driver had engaged the services of his firm four times before this incident.
Whether he did in fact pen that social media post is immaterial. The 49 sec clip shared by SG Road Vigilante (appended once again for convenience reference) without doubt demonstrated he was wholly complicit in the collision. It takes two hands to clap; there's no way in hell he can ever deny his culpability.
Tampines fatal accident: Man who helped victims said teen’s dad kept calling for her
SINGAPORE - The sarong-clad good Samaritan who helped victims and directed traffic after the fatal Tampines accident, which killed two people on April 22, said he is still haunted by flashbacks.
Mr Sheikh Imran Sheikh Ahmad, 40, especially remembers how Mr Muhammad Azril, the driver of a Honda Stream that had turned turtle, repeatedly cried out his daughter’s name while trapped in their car.
The girl, Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, 17, who had also been in the accident, died in hospital that day.
Madam Norzihan Juwahib, 57, a senior technician at pest control firm First Choice Pest Specialist, also died. She had been a passenger in the company’s van, which was one of the six vehicles involved in the crash.
Mr Imran, a property agent, spoke to The Straits Times on April 24 at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4, where the accident happened.
In several videos online, the father of five children, aged one to 12, could be seen directing traffic at the junction after the accident, clad in a long-sleeved grey shirt and a chequered sarong.
That day, Mr Imran had just taken three of his children to school in Braddell, and was driving back to his Tampines flat with his wife in the front passenger seat.
He was wearing a sarong, as that was his attire for his usual morning prayers, which he had done earlier before leaving home.
They were third in line at the junction when he heard a loud crash and saw smoke billowing in front.
He said: “We were shocked for about two seconds. I saw someone go up to the (overturned) car and try to open the door, but it didn’t budge. So I felt I needed to help.”
He parked his car by the side of the road and went forward, where he saw bystanders trying to help Mr Azril.
Said Mr Imran: “My first instinct was to give the person inside some air because I could see he was still moving. So I forced the door open, or whatever was left of the car, and I was asking (Mr Azril), ‘Are you okay? Can you move?’”
He said Mr Azril, who had a bloodshot eye, told him that he was in pain and that his daughter was in the car.
When Mr Imran saw a girl clad in a Temasek Junior College shirt lying motionless on the road, his heart sank.
He said Mr Azril could not see Afifah and kept calling her name.
He added: “The other bystanders and I decided not to tell him that was his daughter.”
“I am a father, so I felt how he felt... when your daughter is gone like this, and you don’t know where she is and you can’t get out to see her.”
Mr Azril, a Police Coast Guard officer, was taking Afifah to a school event in their car when the crash happened. He suffered kidney- and spine-related injuries.
Five other people, including two 11-year-old boys, were also taken to hospital.
Afifah and Madam Norzihan were buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery on April 23, and their graves were just one plot apart.
As Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police officers arrived at the accident scene, Mr Imran hauled debris away from the junction and helped to direct traffic.
The crash had caused a major traffic jam, with drivers honking and trying to cut across blocked-off lanes.
Mr Imran guided cars into the correct lanes.
He said: “When you’re driving and there’s an accident, you will look at the accident. I believe that can cause more accidents because you’re looking and don’t pay attention.”
He stayed at the scene for around 45 minutes before he went home, which is about a three-minute drive from the scene.
That afternoon, he had to compose himself before leaving home again to fetch his children from school.
He said: “It took me about 10 to 15 minutes before I could drive off, because I was just sitting and thinking this could have happened to anyone.
“Every time I drive past here, I can still hear the father’s (Mr Azril’s) words. It’s just very sad.”
As Mr Imran was speaking to ST, three of Madam Norzihan’s family members came to the accident site.
Gazing quietly at the 40 or so bouquets left by members of the public beside a board placed by the police appealing for witnesses, one of them said: “We’re just here to visit.”
The SCDF said on April 22 that several members of the public, including a nurse and two off-duty SCDF officers, helped the injured after the accident, and it will be commending them for their public spiritedness.
On April 24, one of the drivers of the vehicles involved in the accident, a 42-year-old man, was arrested for dangerous driving causing death after he was discharged from hospital.
On his decision to help, Mr Imran said: “Hopefully by doing so, in the future if there are any other accidents, people will not be afraid to step up.”
No serious accidents, deaths between 2019 and 2023 at junction of Tampines fatal crash: Amy Khor
SINGAPORE – There were no accidents resulting in serious injuries or fatalities from 2019 to 2023 at the junction in Tampines where a fatal six-vehicle crash happened on April 22.
Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said this in Parliament on May 7 in response to questions from MPs following the accident, which killed a woman, 57, and a 17-year-old junior college student.
She added that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) did not receive feedback on safety issues at the junction before the crash, and that it had been designed according to international safety standards.
“These include sufficient line of sight for road users to see each other clearly, and appropriate road kerbs, lane and arrow markings installed conspicuously,” said Dr Khor.
Eight MPs filed 11 questions to the Home Affairs and Transport ministries about road safety, with several asking about the adequacy of penalties to deter dangerous driving.
Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said the top causes of fatal accidents in Singapore between 2019 and 2023 were drivers’ failure to keep a proper lookout and their failure to control their vehicles adequately.
Associate Professor Faishal said the Tampines accident shocked and angered many Singaporeans.
He said an average of three fatal accidents per year, or about 2.4 per cent of fatal accidents annually, were investigated under the offence of reckless or dangerous driving causing death.
Annually, an average of 29 fatal accidents, or 27 per cent, were speeding-related.
He noted that the number of accidents that led to deaths rose by around 12 per cent from 117 in 2019 to 131 in 2023.
Three MPs – Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), Mr Vikram Nair (Sembawang GRC) and Mr Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) – asked if there was a need to review existing penalties under the Road Traffic Act.
First-time offenders convicted of dangerous driving causing death can be jailed for between two and eight years, and be disqualified from driving for 10 years. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to 15 years.
Prof Faishal said the Ministry of Home Affairs stiffened penalties significantly in 2019.
He said: “What the laws provide today are already quite stiff. We do regularly review different aspects of the framework.
“In this context, we have been studying the adequacy of composition amounts and the demerit points framework.”
The Traffic Police (TP) had said on Feb 20 that it would be increasing the composition sums – the sum of money paid to settle an offence without going to court – and demerit points for certain traffic offences. More details will be announced in 2024.
On May 7, Dr Khor told Parliament that LTA reviewed the safety of the junction in Tampines after the accident and will not be making enhancements at this time.
She added: “We will wait for TP’s investigations to conclude and review again if measures need to be taken. This is the approach we take for all locations where serious accidents have occurred.”
Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied GRC) asked if public education efforts could focus on improving the driving culture in Singapore, which she noted has a “certain permissive attitude towards speeding”.
From her experience, cars honk and overtake when she is driving at the speed limit on the first lane of a highway. In other countries, Ms Lim said, motorists honk at speedsters to slow down.
Prof Faishal agreed with her suggestion, saying motorists here need to realise they are sharing the road with others and have to be more careful when driving.
More at https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/no-serious-accidents-deaths-between-2019-and-2023-at-junction-of-tampines-fatal-crash-amy-khor
A netizen has initiated a petition calling for the harshest possible punishment to be meted out to the bugger who drove the Saab:
https://www.change.org/p/public-appeal-for-maximum-sentencing-against-muhammad-syafie-ismail
Meanwhile, someone who purports to be the white Mercedes driver has put out a WOT to account for his apparently reckless challenging of the black Saab which led up to the accident itself....
Tampines fatal accident: Man who helped victims said teen’s dad kept calling for her
SINGAPORE - The sarong-clad good Samaritan who helped victims and directed traffic after the fatal Tampines accident, which killed two people on April 22, said he is still haunted by flashbacks.
Mr Sheikh Imran Sheikh Ahmad, 40, especially remembers how Mr Muhammad Azril, the driver of a Honda Stream that had turned turtle, repeatedly cried out his daughter’s name while trapped in their car.
The girl, Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, 17, who had also been in the accident, died in hospital that day.
Madam Norzihan Juwahib, 57, a senior technician at pest control firm First Choice Pest Specialist, also died. She had been a passenger in the company’s van, which was one of the six vehicles involved in the crash.
Mr Imran, a property agent, spoke to The Straits Times on April 24 at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4, where the accident happened.
In several videos online, the father of five children, aged one to 12, could be seen directing traffic at the junction after the accident, clad in a long-sleeved grey shirt and a chequered sarong.
That day, Mr Imran had just taken three of his children to school in Braddell, and was driving back to his Tampines flat with his wife in the front passenger seat.
He was wearing a sarong, as that was his attire for his usual morning prayers, which he had done earlier before leaving home.
They were third in line at the junction when he heard a loud crash and saw smoke billowing in front.
He said: “We were shocked for about two seconds. I saw someone go up to the (overturned) car and try to open the door, but it didn’t budge. So I felt I needed to help.”
He parked his car by the side of the road and went forward, where he saw bystanders trying to help Mr Azril.
Said Mr Imran: “My first instinct was to give the person inside some air because I could see he was still moving. So I forced the door open, or whatever was left of the car, and I was asking (Mr Azril), ‘Are you okay? Can you move?’”
He said Mr Azril, who had a bloodshot eye, told him that he was in pain and that his daughter was in the car.
When Mr Imran saw a girl clad in a Temasek Junior College shirt lying motionless on the road, his heart sank.
He said Mr Azril could not see Afifah and kept calling her name.
He added: “The other bystanders and I decided not to tell him that was his daughter.”
“I am a father, so I felt how he felt... when your daughter is gone like this, and you don’t know where she is and you can’t get out to see her.”
Mr Azril, a Police Coast Guard officer, was taking Afifah to a school event in their car when the crash happened. He suffered kidney- and spine-related injuries.
Five other people, including two 11-year-old boys, were also taken to hospital.
Afifah and Madam Norzihan were buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery on April 23, and their graves were just one plot apart.
As Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and police officers arrived at the accident scene, Mr Imran hauled debris away from the junction and helped to direct traffic.
The crash had caused a major traffic jam, with drivers honking and trying to cut across blocked-off lanes.
Mr Imran guided cars into the correct lanes.
He said: “When you’re driving and there’s an accident, you will look at the accident. I believe that can cause more accidents because you’re looking and don’t pay attention.”
He stayed at the scene for around 45 minutes before he went home, which is about a three-minute drive from the scene.
That afternoon, he had to compose himself before leaving home again to fetch his children from school.
He said: “It took me about 10 to 15 minutes before I could drive off, because I was just sitting and thinking this could have happened to anyone.
“Every time I drive past here, I can still hear the father’s (Mr Azril’s) words. It’s just very sad.”
As Mr Imran was speaking to ST, three of Madam Norzihan’s family members came to the accident site.
Gazing quietly at the 40 or so bouquets left by members of the public beside a board placed by the police appealing for witnesses, one of them said: “We’re just here to visit.”
The SCDF said on April 22 that several members of the public, including a nurse and two off-duty SCDF officers, helped the injured after the accident, and it will be commending them for their public spiritedness.
On April 24, one of the drivers of the vehicles involved in the accident, a 42-year-old man, was arrested for dangerous driving causing death after he was discharged from hospital.
On his decision to help, Mr Imran said: “Hopefully by doing so, in the future if there are any other accidents, people will not be afraid to step up.”
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/tampines-fatal-accident-man-who-helped-victims-said-teen-s-dad-kept-calling-for-her
南无阿弥陀佛🙏
Way, way too tragic. May both the TJC student and 57 yo auntie RIP
I read through the various news reports, however I still have no idea how the accident happened exactly, might someone be able to shed light on this?
😭😭😭