Car in fatal AMK accident that killed man, 59, almost veered towards elderly residents doing tai chi

More details have emerged about the Ang Mo Kio car accident on Jan. 19 that left a 59-year-old man dead.

The car had apparently taken a corner at high speed before veering off the road and onto a public square, where seven elderly residents were practising tai chi at the time.

The 59-year-old was passing through the public square when he was struck.

Driver appeared at a loss

An eyewitness, Noraini, 47, told Shin Min Daily News that she was on her way home from dinner with her husband and two sons when the accident occurred.

"My husband suddenly said, 'That car turned right at a very high speed.' Before I could react, the car lost control and veered onto the pedestrian path and public square," Noraini said.

She recalled seeing a middle-aged man, who was passing through the square at the time, being struck by the car.

According to Noraini, the driver stumbled out of his car and appeared at a loss. She saw him check on his car, and fearing that he would leave the scene, Noraini called for other bystanders to keep an eye on him until the police arrived.

According to Shin Min, following the accident, a man was seen seated on a bench near the square with injuries to his head and cheek.

The man is believed to be the driver involved in the accident.

He was later taken away in an ambulance at about 10pm.

The police spent a total of three hours investigating the accident site, Shin Min reported.

Nurse and doctor provided CPR

Noraini shared that she and her son phoned the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) before going over to the accident site to see if they could be of help.

"I saw the man faced down and motionless on the ground," she said, adding that she quickly told the others around to go seek help from the nearby clinics.

Xu Yangen, 25, was a nurse who lived nearby.

She heard a loud crash and stepped out of her home to find out what happened.

That was when she saw a man lying on the ground, seemingly gravely injured.

"As a nurse, it is my duty to help. A doctor from a nearby clinic also rushed over to see what happened," Xu said.

"I quickly administered CPR," she continued.

At the time, the man was already semi-conscious and was struggling to breathe.

"I spent about five to 10 minutes on emergency care before he eventually stopped responding," Xu shared.

SCDF officers took over after they arrived and conveyed the man to the hospital.

Elderly people doing tai chi fled

Noraini shared that at the time of the accident, there was a group of elderly residents practising tai chi on the public square.

One of the elderly, who declined to be named, told Shin Min that they gathered every Monday to exercise.

"There were a total of seven of us. We suddenly saw the car coming towards us, so we fled," she said.

She shared that she took a fall while fleeing and sustained injuries to her elbow and leg.

Stretch of road

One resident, Zhang, 43, told Shin Min that the section of the road has seen several accidents in the past.

Cars tended to go fast in the section, Zhang said.

He also shared that he would walk by that stretch of road almost every day.

He said, "Cars go especially fast when they are making the turn. The pedestrian walkway is right beside, so it is rather dangerous. I always tell my kids to keep an eye out for cars when they're walking."

Zhang also pointed out that the elderly and children often frequent the public square for activities and to play.

The accident was quite unexpected, he expressed, and may linger in the minds of residents.

59-year-old died in hospital

Responding to queries from Mothership, the Singapore Police Force and SCDF said they were alerted to the accident at Block 231 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 at 8:30pm on Jan. 19.

SCDF later conveyed a 59-year-old man unconscious to the hospital, where he passed away.

The 50-year-old male driver was arrested for dangerous driving causing death.

Videos of the accident showed a car at rest on a public square, with debris strewn around it.

The front bumper and headlights of the car had been dislodged, and a part of its windshield was shattered.

Top image via Shin Min Daily News