71-year-old woman suffers triple jaw fracture after PMD hits her from behind outside Pasir Ris Mall
A 71-year-old woman suffered a triple jaw fracture after she was reportedly hit from behind by a PMD near Pasir Ris Mall on Dec 10.
Her husband, Stomper Frank Singam, told Stomp the incident happened along a shared pavement just outside the shopping mall and near the polyclinic.
The 74-year-old shared that the PMD rider struck his wife Malar Kandasamy from behind, causing her to fall face-first onto the concrete pavement.
"She was caught completely off guard, and her chin absorbed the brunt of her fall," he said.
Malar was taken to Changi General Hospital, where doctors found that her jaw had fractured in three places. She underwent surgery on Dec 12, during which implants were inserted, and her jaw was wire-locked to aid recovery.
Frank said the attending doctor described the injuries as severe. Malar is currently unable to open her mouth fully and can only consume liquids for the next few weeks or months.
"She has to work hard to engage in a conversation," he said. "Though the outcome was bad, it could have been much worse. She could have sustained more serious and significant facing injuries, given that she was wearing glasses when she fell face down. She could also have snapped her neck."
The accident also forced the couple to cancel a long-planned family trip to the United States, which was meant to continue celebrations for their 50th wedding anniversary.
In a video recorded from her hospital bed, Malar recounted how the incident unfolded.
"I was looking at the stairs coming down Pasir Ris Mall to make sure that I don't trip and fall," she said. "As I turned, I didn't see the PMD driver coming because he was behind me, and he hit me from the back."
She said she was thrown forward by the impact and landed on her chin.
"I don't have eyes at the back of my head," she said. "I got thrown, I fell, I hit my chin, and now I'm sitting here with my jaw stitched up."
Malar added that the area where the incident happened was busy, with a bus stop and pedestrian crossings nearby.
She also shared that the rider later returned to the hospital to apologise and help. She said she did not want him penalised as riding was his livelihood.
However, she urged PMD riders to exercise greater caution, especially in crowded areas.
"They must use their brains," she said.
Frank added that they will not be taking any action against the rider: "We did not lodge a police report as we felt it was not the individual at fault, but rather the system, the infrastructure design and the policies."
Malar made an emotional appeal for greater protection for vulnerable pedestrians, particularly seniors and children.
"We are old," she said. "When we fall, it takes us one year or more to recover. Once you fall, it's not so easy to come back."
In an update shared on Facebook on Dec 16, Frank said his wife's condition has improved.
"Her scan yesterday shows that her fractures are settling in well," he wrote. "She is being discharged today and will be treated as an outpatient. The implants will take weeks to come out, and we are hoping for full functionality in three months' time."
He thanked friends and relatives for their prayers and well-wishes, but said his concerns about pedestrian safety remain.
"The battle with the authorities and against PMD and personal mobility aid (PMA) operators goes on," he wrote.
Frank said while they are grateful that help arrived quickly and that the outcome was not worse, he hopes sharing Malar's experience will raise awareness about the dangers of PMDs on shared pavements.
"How many other seniors can be as lucky?" he asked.
