SBS Transit bus jams brakes to avoid merging car, woman, 29, gets thrown into glass panel

When an SBS Transit bus braked suddenly, a passenger was thrown forward and shattered a glass panel in front of her.

This left her with a trip to the hospital and five stitches on her right forearm.

Speaking to Mothership, the woman, Ng, 29, shared that she was travelling on bus service 13 on Mar. 13 along Braddell Road when the bus suddenly braked.

As she was seated at a priority seat with a glass panel in front of her, the sudden stop threw her forward into the safety bar and shattered the glass.

Ng fell to the floor and landed among the broken glass shards strewn along the ground.

She was then rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where she received five stitches on her right arm.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed they received a call for assistance along Braddell Road on Mar. 13 at about 4:35pm.

One person was conveyed to the hospital.

Reckless driving

Ng told Mothership that the bus driver claimed that a car exiting from a slip road was driving recklessly as it was merging onto the main road.

The bus driver honked at the car, and the car suddenly braked.

While the bus driver was able to brake, the incident resulted in the bus colliding with the car.

Both vehicles sustained damages, with the front of the bus dented, while the car's rear was severely damaged.

In response to Mothership's queries, SBS Transit spokesperson Grace Wu shared that bus service 13 was travelling straight along Braddell Road when a car exited from a slip road off the Central Expressway (CTE) without warning into the bus's path.

The car then stopped abruptly without an apparent reason, she added.

"Although our bus captain applied the emergency brakes, it was unfortunately unable to avoid a collision. A passenger was conveyed to the hospital where she received outpatient treatment."

Possible whiplash injury

Following the accident, Ng visited another hospital on Mar. 15 as she was experiencing discomfort in her neck, back and leg.

X-rays revealed that she possibly had a whiplash injury in her neck.

Ng shared that she reached out to SBS Transit on Mar. 14.

In an email seen by Mothership, SBS Transit stated that it would be conducting a "proper and accurate assessment" of her case and that their claims officer would reply once the assessment was completed.

Ng added that the incident raised concerns over the potential risk to vulnerable passengers as her seat was a priority seat.

"If someone more vulnerable had been in my place, the outcome could have been far worse," she said.

Wu said they are in touch with Ng to extend their care and concern.

"We wish her a speedy and complete recovery. Meanwhile, we are assisting the police in their investigations."

The Singapore Police Force confirmed with Mothership that they were alerted to an accident involving a bus and car along Braddell Road on Mar. 13, and police investigations are ongoing.

Tempered glass

On Mar. 20, SBS Transit emailed Ng to inform her that she could submit her medical bills to its claim department for consideration.

In addition, SBS Transit shared that the glass panel is made out of tempered glass and has been installed on all Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses since 2011.

SBS Transit explained that when tempered glass shatters, it breaks into small pieces to reduce the likelihood of severe injuries.

Top photos via Ng