While sighting wildlife in Singapore can be a joy for some, this might not be the case for those who meet with an accident on the road after colliding with a wild animal.
A motorcyclist who was injured after an alleged accident with a sambar deer on Sep. 21, 2019, is suing the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the National Parks Board (NParks) for negligence, reported Straits Times (ST).
Back in Sep. 21, police informed Mothership that a 25-year-old motorcyclist was conscious when taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital following a collision along Upper Thomson Road.
This is not the first time the animal has been encountered on a road, or next to a road.
Seeking damages from statutory boards after his injuries
According to ST, the motorcyclist, Muhammad Aliff Mohd Jeferee, suffered injuries to his head, shoulder, and leg during the accident last year.
The 26-year-old said that he had collided with a large sambar deer that supposedly ran across Upper Thomson Road.
According to court papers submitted by NParks' lawyers, there was no trace of the sambar deer when its officers visited the collision site following the alleged accident.
The technician is hoping to be compensated for his loss of earnings, the cost of medical treatment, and pain and suffering among others, said ST.
This is not the first case where a member of the public has sued a statutory board after an injury.
About a week ago, a case of a woman who sued PUB for S$5 million after falling into a 1.8-metre-deep manhole was reported by ST.
Both statutory boards denied claims made by Aliff
LTA and NParks have countered and denied Aliff's claims, and said that he has himself to blame for the alleged accident.
According to ST, court documents state that Aliff said that NParks is responsible for the management of wildlife in Singapore, while LTA is responsible for maintaining local roads.
He said that both statutory boards did not do enough to ensure animals in nature reserves do not move onto the road and pose a threat to those using the road.
LTA responded in court papers that "Animals Ahead" signs have been installed by the government agency along Upper Thomson Road, and that one of these signs was already present before the site of the alleged accident, reported ST.
Such signs are present to alert those using the roads of possible encounters with wild animals in the area.
As for NParks, its lawyers filed in court papers that the agency is in charge of wild animal population, and has taken measures to prevent incidents that involve public safety.
The agency also conducts surveys of the sambar deer population from time to time at the Upper Thomson area and has found that their numbers were manageable, reported ST.
As the case is before the court, LTA and NParks said it is inappropriate for the agencies to comment on it.
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