Etomidate found in blood of driver, passenger who died in fatal Punggol car crash

Etomidate was detected in the blood of two people involved in a fatal traffic accident at Punggol on May 13, said the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).

A car, driven by a 30-year-old man, collided with a stationary bus at a traffic light along Punggol Road.

The female passenger, 28, later died from her injuries in the hospital.

The police also found 42 vapes and more than 1,200 pods in the car, some of which contained etomidate.

Etomidate is an anaesthetic that may be found in vapes. Vapes laced with etomidate are known as Kpods or, colloquially, "zombie vapes".

The man is currently assisting the police and the HSA in investigations regarding both the accident and vape-related offences.

Had a young daughter

The deceased passenger, Lu Tangqi (transliteration from Chinese), worked as a manicurist and had a young daughter.

She'd celebrated Mother's Day just a few days before the fatal accident.

Her parents and friends showed up at the morgue on May 15 to claim her body, reported Shin Min Daily News.

About etomidate

It is illegal to buy, possess, use, import, distribute, sell, or advertise vapes in Singapore.

Those found to have bought, possessed, or used vapes may be fined up to S$2,000, while offenders convicted of the import, distribution, sale, or advertisement of vapes may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed up to six months, or both.

Those found possessing or using Kpods may be jailed up to 2 years and fined up to S$10,000 under the Poisons Act.

While etomidate is currently listed as a poison, the Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to re-classify it as a Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, offenders will be treated "not differently" from those who consume drugs like cannabis or cocaine, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung.

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Top image from Shin Min Daily News and HSA