Woman, 83, dies in Teck Whye car accident: Victim on the way home from coffee shop, car seen swerving

An 83-year-old woman passed away after she was allegedly hit by a car that mounted a kerb in Teck Whye on Nov. 9.

The victim had previously worked as a cleaner at the coffee shop near the accident site.

She was believed to have been on her way home with another 83-year-old woman after a meal when the car allegedly struck them.

Eyewitnesses said the driver apparently attempted to restart the car's engine following the accident, but was stopped by the crowd that had gathered.

Died on the way to hospital

The accident involving the grey sedan occurred near Block 25 Teck Whye Lane.

Police were alerted at about 2:50pm.

Both seniors were conveyed to the hospital.

One of them was unconscious and subsequently passed away.

E-vaporisers were found in the car.

Deceased identified

The deceased woman was Chen Jinbao, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Her daughter-in-law, Chen (transliteration), 55, said their domestic helper received a call about the accident and went downstairs.

The helper then notified the family to go to the hospital.

Doctors later informed them that the victim died on the way to the hospital, despite resuscitation attempts.

She reportedly suffered serious injuries to the back of her head and had lost a lot of blood.

About to cross the road

The accident was witnessed by a number of people, including patrons and vendors at the coffee shop nearby, who rushed over to the scene.

One of the vendors, Wang (transliteration), who recognised the two elderly women, said he believed they were on their way home after a meal.

They were about to cross the road but backed away after noticing a car speeding and swerving towards them.

The car apparently then struck the women and was stopped in its tracks by a tree.

About 40 to 50 people gathered around the scene of the accident, with some attempting to help.

The victim was unconscious, and someone who knew her hurriedly notified her helper.

Wang said they did not dare move the injured and waited about 15 minutes for the paramedics to arrive.

The first responders immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Driver allegedly tried restarting engine

After the collision, the driver appeared to be in a daze and allegedly kept his foot on the accelerator.

He remained in the car and yelled that he did not hit anyone, Wang told Shin Min.

At one point, he tried restarting the engine, which prompted someone in the crowd to yell for the ignition key to be removed.

A man, believed to have been the driver, was seen seated on the road beside the car and was approached by the police.

Erratic driving spotted prior to accident

An eyewitness at the scene reportedly noticed the erratic driving prior to the accident and tailed the grey sedan.

The eyewitness was later seen berating the driver, and told other bystanders that he had alerted the police as soon as he noticed the car travelling erratically.

He also shared that he had footage of the accident on his dashboard camera.

Deceased was extroverted and active

The victim's daughter-in-law said her late mother-in-law was an extrovert who would spend her time going around the neighbourhood to chat with friends.

For years, she worked as a cleaner at a coffee shop.

"She was healthy and strong. However, we often told her not to spend so much time out and about. Now that this has happened, we all feel terrible," she said.

"We hope that the driver will take responsibility for his actions," she added.

She also said that if the driver was to be found guilty, she hoped he would offer an apology to their family.

The daughter-in-law also thanked members of the public for readily helping the two elderly women the moment the accident happened.

The deceased lives with her 85-year-old husband and helper.

She is survived by her husband, two sons, two daughters, and eight grandchildren.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News