Four injured after head-on crash in Toa Payoh — but this couple’s quick action made all the difference
Four people were injured after two cars collided in Toa Payoh on April 6 — but a couple wasted no time jumping to the rescue.
They stayed at the scene, keeping those involved calm and helping to manage the situation until emergency services arrived.
In response to Stomp’s queries, the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to the accident along Braddell Road towards Toa Payoh Flyover at around 5pm.
A 65-year-old male car driver and his 42-year-old male passenger, as well as a 72-year-old male car driver and his 73-year-old female passenger, were conscious when taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
The 72-year-old driver is assisting with police investigations, which are ongoing.
Jumping right into action
Dr Martin Wong, 53, and his wife Yu Lingjiao, 43, were driving home from work when traffic came to a sudden standstill.
Realising that an accident had happened, Martin grabbed a first-aid kit from his car and went to render assistance.
“It looked, to me, quite serious. I didn’t see much blood, but there was one person trapped behind his steering wheel,” he recounted in an interview with Stomp on April 21.
“The first thing I did was to ask everyone to turn off their engines as I didn’t want any kind of combustion. Next, I directed people to assist us.”
While others called 995 and helped manage traffic, Martin checked on each victim and performed triage according to the extent of their injuries.
A researcher and adjunct professor, Martin is also a trained Community First Responder. He is no stranger to high-stakes situations, having encountered incidents ranging from coffee shop fights to medical emergencies.
At the scene, he remained calm and steady, providing reassurance and medical care to those involved, as one victim noted. He also helped direct traffic and later briefed paramedics when they arrived.
Passenger recounts ordeal
For Vikram Raman, it had started out as a regular day as he made his way to his mother’s house. He recalled carrying two full bags of tools and fastening his seatbelt upon boarding his Tada ride.
But it was only five minutes into the journey when things took a wrong turn.
The 42-year-old safety coordinator said: “We had entered the flyover when I noticed an oncoming vehicle attempting to overtake another car. The driver of that vehicle was unable to return to his lane in time, resulting in a head-on collision with our vehicle.
“The impact happened suddenly and I had no time to react. During the collision, I was thrown forward due to the force of the impact and struck the right side of my face against the driver’s headrest despite attempting to brace myself with both hands. I briefly lost consciousness.”
When he came to, his belongings were scattered across the car.
“I felt swelling on my face and noticed minor injuries, including bruises and abrasions on my right elbow and knee,” he said, adding that his driver appeared to be in significant pain and was unable to move, “likely due to whiplash”.
That was when Martin appeared, identifying himself as a certified first aider.
Not only did he treat Vikram’s injuries, he also recognised signs of a neck injury in the Tada driver.
“He retrieved a neck brace and assisted the driver in putting it on. He then attended to my injuries, noticing a minor cut on my left thumb, which he cleaned and bandaged,” Vikram said.
Martin and Lingjiao were particularly concerned about the Tada driver.
“His neck was injured, but he was very worried and anxious about his car insurance and kept fidgeting,” said Lingjiao, a social service executive.
“So I helped support his neck and limit his movements.”
A note of gratitude
While Vikram was unable to attend the interview, he expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Martin through Stomp.
“I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. In such a stressful and overwhelming moment, your kindness and willingness to step in made all the difference,” he said.
“I truly appreciate your calmness, quick thinking, and the care you showed. It meant more than I can put into words. People like you remind me that even in difficult situations, there is still so much good in the world. I’m really grateful you were there.”
‘It’s not about what we have done’
For their efforts, Stomp presented Martin and Lingjiao with Goody Bags.
The couple, who have been married for almost 20 years, said they were thankful and excited to be recognised — but more importantly, they hope more people will pick up lifesaving skills such as first aid.
“You don’t need to be a doctor or trained paramedic or nurse. Any one of us can make that critical difference to a person before the arrival of the professionals,” said Martin.
“Should anything happen to our loved ones, we won’t want to be there just waiting for the ambulance to come. We want to be able to do something significant.”
People like you remind me that even in difficult situations, there is still so much good in the world.
Lingjiao, however, noted that applying first aid in real-life situations can be very different from training.
“It’s something you have to encounter to fully understand. You need to use what you learn or you might forget how to do it,” she said.
“But I think anyone would be nervous in such a situation. At the start, you might not know what to do. It’s important to stay calm first.”
Despite this, the pair work well together, displaying an easy camaraderie — whether responding to emergencies or during their Stomp interview.
Martin added: “It’s not about ourselves or what we have done. It’s using this platform to tell everyone we can all make a difference.”
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