Cabby, 71, arrested for drink driving and terminated by ComfortDelGro after taxi ends up on walkway
A 71-year-old taxi driver was arrested for drink driving after an accident at Block 122 Teck Whye Lane on March 10.
In response to a Stomp query, the police said they were alerted to the incident at about 9pm.
A person was assessed for minor injuries by a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic and declined to be taken to hospital.
Photos published by Shin Min Daily News show a ComfortDelGro taxi on a walkway below the HDB block.
A witness told Shin Min that he was having dinner with his family at about 8.45pm when he heard a loud sound from downstairs.
The 30-year-old recounted: "It turned out the taxi had a burst tyre. I thought the driver was going to leave, but he actually drove onto the walkway."
The cabby stopped after only driving for about 50m, said the witness, who called the police.
The witness also thought the taxi driver had suffered a heart attack and went downstairs to check on him.
He added: "You could tell he was in a drunken stupor. Passers-by could smell the alcohol coming from him. I opened the taxi door, turned off the engine and helped him out of the vehicle. He refused at first, but eventually relented."
Another 61-year-old resident saw the taxi driver entering a police car which left at around 10.20pm.
The next morning, several family members of the cabby were spotted near the parked taxi, waiting for a tow truck to arrive. They declined to be interviewed by reporters.
According to The Straits Times, ComfortDelgro said the driver's contract has been terminated and it will assist with police investigations.
A spokesperson added: "The safety of our passengers, pedestrians, and all road users is our top priority, and we have a zero-tolerance policy towards drink driving."
Police investigations are ongoing.
