S'porean man, 62, who died after being run over by truck in Batam was youngest of 5 sons & 8 daughters, deeply loved by family

The 62-year-old Singaporean man who recently died in an accident in Batam, Indonesia, was described by one of his older brothers as "cheerful and lively", the "life of the party in the family" and "well-loved by his colleagues".

Shin Min Daily News understands that Cai Yicai (transliterated) was reportedly on his way to meet friends and was travelling by motorcycle as a passenger when he was hit by a truck that dragged him under the vehicle and ran over him.

Fatal accident

The accident, which occurred in front of a shopping mall at around 6pm (Batam time) on Mar. 4, 2026, saw three others sustaining injuries after a truck suddenly lost control before veering off course and colliding with three motorcycles in front of it.

Cai died instantly at the scene after getting dragged under the vehicle with the motorcycle, Shin Min reported.

Youngest in the family

Following Cai's death, one of his older brothers, 72-year-old Cai Chong (transliterated), contacted Shin Min to recount his brother's life.

His brother was the youngest in the family out of five sons and eight daughters, his older brother said, adding that the youngest Cai was deeply loved by his older siblings.

The older brother said: "We all love him very much, after all, he is the youngest in the family. I think he is also like my partner, and we usually handle and discuss family matters together."

Popular wherever he went

Adding that he felt extremely saddened by the sudden passing of his beloved brother, he said: "My younger brother was cheerful and outgoing, and never held grudges."

He added: "He was popular wherever he went, and many of his friends and colleagues came to pay their respects, including former military colleagues and hiking buddies.

"His nephews and nieces who lived abroad also asked me to write their farewell messages in the condolence book."

Hiking

Before his death, Cai often went hiking abroad, Shin Min reported, adding that to celebrate the New Year, he walked a route in Eunos marked with the Chinese character for "horse".

One member of a hiking group said she had previously met Cai during the pandemic.

Chen (transliterated), 65, said in addition to hiking locally, Cai would sometimes go hiking in countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia with other group members.

Chen added that at the end of February 2026, over 20 enthusiasts had hiked the Eunos area and even specially walked a route with the character "horse" to welcome the Year of the Horse.

Another enthusiast, 56, said her husband and Cai had been colleagues for over 20 years.

"My husband passed away about four years ago," she said, adding that Cai was the one who always encouraged her to go hiking with him and not stay at home alone.

"I am really grateful to him."

Top photos via Shin Min Daily News