Motorcyclist, 30, who died in Admiralty accident, a single father of girl, 5, rode from JB to S'pore at 4am daily

The 30-year-old motorcyclist who lost his life in a multi-vehicle accident in Admiralty on Jun. 20, was reportedly a single father, who commuted from Johor Bahru to Singapore daily, and worked two jobs to support his five-year-old daughter.

On the afternoon of Jun. 20, Chan Yong Kang was riding back to JB with his colleagues when he was involved in an accident with another motorcycle, a truck and a lorry along Admiralty Road.

Chan apparently collided with a lorry, fell onto the road and was crushed under the wheels of an incoming garbage truck, according to his colleagues.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Single father commuted to S'pore daily

Chan, a Malaysian, started working as an electrician in Singapore 11 years ago, according to Shin Min Daily News.

On Chan's Facebook profile, he refers to himself as a single father, Shin Min reported.

About four years ago, his wife reportedly left him and their daughter.

Chan and his wife also started divorce proceedings in 2024.

Chan's elder sister told Shin Min that Chan is the third of eight siblings, and the eldest son.

He and another brother worked in the same company in Singapore and commuted daily across the border.

Chan's sister said Chan was a "hardworking and simple man", who supported the family, including their elderly parents.

Chan would leave home daily at 4am, said his brother.

After reaching their workplace, he would take a short nap before starting work at 7am.

Took on extra jobs in JB to support family

After work ended at 3pm, Chan would return to JB, where he would take on food delivery jobs until 7pm to earn extra income.

This was so that he could give his daughter a better life, and to raise funds for the divorce suit, his family said.

But now matter how busy he was, Chan would return to Batu Pahat each weekend to spend time with his daughter, Chan's sister recalled.

Chan's sister said her family intends to fight for the girl's custody.

And if they are successful, the seven siblings will work together to raise her.

"She's only five, and hasn't really grasped the concept of death yet. But when she saw her father's corpse, she couldn't help but cry," Chan's sister told Shin Min.

How did accident happen?

Chan's brother said he heard from Chan's colleagues that the lorry that Chan was riding behind apparently braked suddenly.

Chan, who was unable to avoid the lorry, hit it and fell onto the road.

He was then purportedly run over by a garbage truck.

In response to speculation from online users that Chan could have been riding recklessly, Chan's siblings told Shin Min that their brother was a careful rider.

Prior to this accident, he had only fallen off his bike once, when it skidded on the road after it rained, they said.

Top image from Shin Min Daily News