Woman, 46, claims group of 5 PMA riders beat her up for shouting at them to slow down along Sembawang footpath

A woman said that a group of riders on Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) returned to attack her after she told them to slow down outside a Sembawang condominium on Jul. 27.

She claimed one of the PMA riders hit her in the face with a slipper, and another pushed her to the ground when she tried videoing them.

The woman ended up with a bloodied left elbow and right knee.

Police confirmed with Mothership that four from the group are assisting with police investigations.

Scolded rider who "zoomed past" on pathway

Speaking to Mothership, the 46-year-old woman, surnamed Oh, said that she had emerged from the back gate of her condominium in Sembawang at around 4:05pm with her dog.

She noted that the pathway outside that leads to a nearby traffic junction is "very narrow" and has "high human traffic" as well as that of cyclists and PMAs.

Oh expressed concerns about cyclists and PMAs who "go at full speed" along the pathway and pose a danger to pedestrians, such as children and domestic helpers heading to childcare centres in the vicinity.

The path Oh was referring to a footpath outside her condo.

On that afternoon, Oh peeked out to check for oncoming traffic before stepping out onto the pathway, as was her habit.

"Upon doing that, one [PMA] drove past at a very high speed," she said. 

Oh shouted at the rider to slow down before three or four other riders in the same group also zoomed past her.

Allegedly hit on face with slipper, pushed to ground

Oh claimed that the first rider stopped and alighted before shouting at her that she should have been the one avoiding the riders and not the other way around.

As he started walking towards her, he took off one of his slippers and Oh threatened to call the police.

Oh alleged that the rider hit her on the face with his slipper while another stood in front of her.

Oh further claimed when she tried recording the incident with her phone, the second rider slapped her phone out of her hand.

She said that when she tried to retrieve her phone, a third rider pushed her to the ground, and the group surrounded her.

Her spectacles were also thrown some distance away.

Her left elbow and right knee were bloodied from abrasions. Oh said she also sustained scratches on her left knee, right arm and left shoulder.

"I felt so helpless," she said, adding that she felt especially vulnerable as a woman of small stature cornered by four people.

The group subsequently left the scene before paramedics and the police arrived.

Police found the PMA riders

A few workers from the construction site opposite the road, who had witnessed the scene, came over to check on Oh.

Oh was subsequently treated by paramedics for minor injuries and also provided a statement to the police.

She said that in the midst of taking her statement, the police officer was radioed by colleagues who found the group of PMA riders.

Traumatised

Oh later went to a hospital in Woodlands to see a doctor and get her wounds treated.

Oh shared that she is still "traumatised" by the attack, which felt like "a hooligan and gang fight".

She added that she kept crying at night and wasn't able to sleep.

So Oh returned to the hospital the next day, Jul. 28, to speak to a doctor.

Oh said the doctor would be referring her to a psychiatrist if her sleep issues persist.

She added that she no longer feels safe using the particular pathway as a pedestrian and called for stricter enforcement against speeding PMAs or PMDs on shared paths.

Four assisting with investigations: Police

Police confirmed with Mothership that they were alerted to a call for assistance at 3 Sembawang Crescent on Jul. 27 at around 4:10pm.

A 46-year-old woman sustained minor injuries but refused conveyance.

Four persons, aged between 36 and 41, are assisting with investigations for voluntarily causing hurt and intentional harassment.

Police investigations are ongoing.

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Top image courtesy of Oh