Taxi driver, 73, collapses & dies after giving statement for dispute with PHV driver in Dover

On Jun. 26 afternoon, a 73-year-old taxi driver, surnamed Lin (transliteration), was caught in a dispute with a private hire vehicle (PHV) driver at a multi-storey car park at Block 19A Dover Crescent.

After the police arrived at the scene, Lin suddenly collapsed to the ground while giving his statement, his daughter told Shin Min Daily News.

Lin was subsequently conveyed to the hospital, where he passed away.

What happened

Lin's daughter said she learned about what happened on Jun. 26 after she went to her father's company to collect his belongings and viewed the dash camera footage on his car.

According to the dash camera footage, at around 5pm on Jun. 26, Lin, who had over 20 years of driving experience, decided to reverse his car after the gantry barrier of the car park did not lift up, reported Shin Min.

However, Lin "accidentally collided with a PHV behind him", his daughter recounted.

The footage showed the PHV driver getting out of his car and walking to the front of Lin's taxi.

The driver then began cursing and hurling vulgarities at Lin, his daughter claimed.

Police alerted

As a result of the PHV driver's actions, Lin did not get out of his car, shared Lin's daughter.

To find out more about what happened, she and her family members also visited the HDB estate in Dover and spoke to the residents.

A resident of the HDB estate corroborated Lin's daughters's account with Shin Min, adding that the PHV driver walked towards the taxi's driver seat after the collision.

The driver then "knocked on Lin's window and scolded Lin incessantly" while Lin "stayed in his taxi and did not respond".

Lin tried to move his taxi forward, Lin's daughter said, and it came into contact with the PHV driver's leg.

The PHV driver called the police.

While waiting for the police's arrival, a number of passersby tried to intervene and calm the PHV driver down, but the driver continued cursing, including at the passersby, the resident of the HDB estate added.

When an onlooker asked if Lin could move his taxi to the side of the road first so as not to block the traffic, the PHV driver did not listen, and the impasse went on until the police arrived, said Lin's daughter.

Lin 'suddenly collapsed' while giving police statement

According to Lin's daughter, after the police arrived, they asked Lin to drive his taxi to the side of the road.

"While driving, my father's taxi mounted a road kerb. As my father was a very experienced driver and rarely made this kind of mistake, we speculated that he had already felt unwell at that point," shared Lin's daughter.

Later on, when police began recording statements from Lin and the PHV driver, Lin's face became paler and paler until he no longer had the strength to stand up straight.

He then squatted down and leaned against his taxi before he suddenly collapsed to the ground, recounted Lin's daughter.

Passed away after sent to hospital

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedics were subsequently called in to conduct cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Lin, said the resident of the HDB estate interviewed by Shin Min.

SCDF confirmed with Mothership that they received a call for assistance at around 5:15pm on Jun. 26.

Lin was conveyed to the National University Hospital, where he subsequently passed away, shared his daughter.

Lin was 'generally healthy'

Lin's daughter said that besides high blood pressure and asthma, her father was generally healthy and did not require long-term medication.

Over the months preceding the incident, Lin did not show any symptoms of feeling unwell either.

Furthermore, Lin followed a regular sleep schedule and never stayed up late, his daughter added.

He could also get "plenty of rest at work", as he typically drives during rush hours in the mornings and evenings.

PHV driver's attitude 'the only trigger': Daughter

Lin's daughter believed the PHV driver's aggressive attitude was the only trigger to what happened to her father.

While she heard that the PHV driver had expressed remorse after the incident, she said it did not change the fact that a life was lost.

"The whole incident was a small matter that could have been discussed gently and civilly. I noticed my father's taxi only sustained minor scratches on its back, which made me wonder:

Why did the PHV driver have to be so aggressive?"

Lin 'didn't even get to enjoy life'

Lin's daughter shared that while Lin had decided to retire during the Covid-19 pandemic, he went back to driving a taxi after he heard his cabby friends were diagnosed with dementia.

Due to the nature of Lin's job, his family had yet to plan any family trips since the pandemic.

"My father passed away without even getting the chance to enjoy life," Lin's daughter shared with a broken heart.

On Jul. 4, Lin's daughter said that a police investigation officer told her the authorities would be investigating the incident but would not be able to share too much details for now.

Top images via Shin Min Daily News