SBS supervisor gets award for helping elderly woman found lying in the middle of Jurong West road

The SBS Transit employee who assisted an elderly distressed woman who lay across two lanes on a road has been commended for his actions with an award.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) recently presented Assistant Interchange Supervisor Wong Chee Chuon with the Community First Responder Award "for his outstanding act of compassion and public-spiritedness", SBS Transit wrote on Facebook on Jul. 3.

What happened

Wong, 44, previously recounted the incident to Zaobao, describing the scene as chaotic.

Around 3pm on Mar. 25, an elderly woman lay across two lanes of the road outside Boon Lay Bus Interchange, causing a traffic congestion.

After Wong learnt the situation from a bus conductor, he went to the middle of the road to assist the woman.

"When I saw her lying in the middle of the road, I didn’t think further— my priority was her safety," he recalled, as quoted in an SBS Transit Facebook post on Mar. 27.

Along with an SMRT staff member, he guided the woman to a grass patch by the roadside, and supported her back in case she fell.

The woman repeatedly yelled at the men to ignore her, but Wong patiently told her they were there to help.

He continued to stay by her side even after the paramedics arrived, according to SBS Transit.

The SCDF later conveyed her to the hospital.

Wong told Zaobao that in his 12 years of service, he has often encountered people in need of help, and that SBS Transit provides yearly training courses to deal with emergencies.

Making a difference

"Helping someone in need felt like the natural thing to do. I’m just glad I could help at that moment," Wong said.

SBS Transit congratulated him on the award.

"Through his actions, Chee Chuon demonstrated how one person’s willingness to step forward can make a meaningful difference," the company said.