Driver, 37, who died in Nicoll Highway Porsche fire, a director of food company

On Mar. 2 afternoon, a Porsche car caught fire following a road traffic accident along Nicoll Highway towards Guillemard Road,  before the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) entrance.

As a result, a person was trapped inside the car, and he was pronounced dead at the scene by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic after the fire was extinguished.

The Straits Times reported that it understands that the deceased was the Porsche driver, 37-year-old Jeffrey Loh Chong Hao.

The Porsche, which was purchased in May 2021, is registered under Chee Song (CS) Foods, where Loh was a shareholder, reported Lianhe Zaobao.

According to CS Foods' website, the company offers a range of Halal-certified chilled, frozen, and ready-to-eat meats and has over 35 years of "industry expertise".

Based on the location of the fatal incident, Zaobao reported that it was believed that Loh was on his way home when tragedy struck.

Loh 'very friendly' to employees

When Zaobao reporters visited CS Foods' office at Kembangan at around 1pm on Mar. 3, the company had opened for business as usual.

An employee who worked with Loh for over eight years told the Chinese newspaper that he was "very shocked" when he heard about Loh's passing.

According to him, Loh and his family were "very friendly" to their staff, and they had worked on many projects themselves without putting on airs.

"One time, my passport almost expired. [Loh's father] not only told me what to do but also drove me to the embassy to renew my passport. Similarly, Loh also helped us with renting flats previously," recounted the employee.

The employee added that Loh did not come to the office often but would show up for management meetings every Monday.

The last time Loh came to the office was Mar. 1, the day before the fatal incident.

Took over family business in 2013

According to Zaobao, who interviewed Loh in 2020, he took over CS Foods from his father in 2013.

Under his leadership, Loh "actively expanded the company's business overseas" and "introduced a wider range of products", thereby transforming CS Foods from a meat supplier for hawkers to a wholesaler that imports a variety of food.

In 2023, however, CS Foods made headlines after it was fined S$35,000 for failing to arrange for inspection, examination, and certification by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA).

The company was also convicted of selling a consignment of frozen chicken products prior to inspection, said SFA in a Facebook post.

When ST visited Loh's home after the fatal incident, a family member shared that they do not plan on releasing a statement at the moment.

Top images via Lianhe Zaobao & Shin Min Daily News