S'pore taxi driver, 66, gets out to help passengers with luggage, dies after taxi moves forward & collides with lorry

A 66-year-old taxi driver, who had stepped out to help unload his passengers' luggage, died after he got trapped between the taxi's door and door frame when the vehicle moved forward and collided with a lorry.

The deceased was identified as Chi Jingzhong (transliteration).

A coroner's inquiry into his death began on Sep. 24, 2026, with his wife, son, and daughter present at the hearing, Shin Min Daily News reported.

Among those who testified were investigation officers from the Traffic Police (TP) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

The case

According to Shin Min, the incident had taken place at 12:49am on Feb. 24, 2025, in front of The Noble Hotel along Jalan Besar.

According to the TP investigation officer, the police received a report at 12:50am on the day of the accident.

A hotel employee also recalled seeing a taxi stopped in front of the hotel.

After two passengers alighted, the driver had only just taken a step out of the vehicle when the taxi began moving forward.

Its open door then collided with the left rear side of a lorry parked along the roadside.

The hotel employee said the driver's head and upper body became trapped between the taxi door and its door frame as the vehicle continued moving forward.

Investigations later found that the deceased had earlier picked up a couple from Changi Airport.

The husband was seated in the front passenger seat, while his wife was seated in the rear.

Their luggage was placed in the boot and on the rear seat.

As the couple's home was located beside The Noble Hotel, the deceased had stopped the taxi in front of the hotel for them to alight.

After they got out, they suddenly realised that the taxi was still moving forward and had collided with the parked lorry, the male passenger recalled.

He went over to help and found the deceased trapped between the taxi door and its frame.

He then reached into the vehicle and shifted the gear from drive to park, stopping the taxi.

When paramedics arrived, the deceased was still trapped between the door and the door frame.

The impact had pushed the taxi door inwards.

An autopsy found that the main causes of death were traumatic asphyxia and severe facial trauma.

No problems found with the taxi's brake system

The MOM investigating officer said the deceased had been a taxi driver for 12 years and had held a driving licence for 42 years, Shin Min reported.

He said the deceased was a trained and experienced taxi driver, and that it was believed that he forgot to shift the gear into park as he was in a hurry to get out of the taxi and help the passengers with their luggage.

The officer added that the accident was not believed to have been caused by overwork or fatigue, as the deceased had been working for only about an hour when the incident occurred.

The inquiry also heard that the taxi was equipped with an electronic parking brake, which could not be activated unless the vehicle came to a complete stop.

As the front of the taxi had been severely damaged, an operational test could not be conducted.

However, inspections found no issues with the taxi's braking system, steering system, or other related components.

The coroner will deliver his findings at a later date.