Car drives into open tailgate of lorry 'perfectly concealed' in HDB carpark at night, police investigating
A car hit the open tailgate of a lorry that was "perfectly concealed" in a HDB carpark at night, resulting in more than $5,300 damage to the car.
The accident happened near Block 302 Hougang Avenue 5 on Nov 20 at around 8.45pm.
Stomper Felicia was in the car with her husband who was driving. She claimed that the carpark was not designated for heavy vehicles like the lorry.
"Its tailgate was left fully open and unattended with the hazard lights off, protruding into the main driving path," recounted the Stomper.
"Although we noticed the lorry and tried to steer left to avoid it, we were unaware of the hidden hazard extending onto the road. Additionally, the nearby lamp post was not functioning, and the lorry was parked beneath a large umbrella tree, leaving the area in deep shadow.
"This created a serious safety risk, and a similar accident could have easily occurred to any driver."
Initially, after the accident, the couple wasn't sure what happened.
"The most surprising — and somewhat ironic — part is that when I told my husband we had hit something, we were both puzzled. From our seats in the car, we couldn't see the tailgate at all," said the Stomper.
"It was only after we reversed and got out of the vehicle that we realised we had collided with a hazard that had been perfectly concealed on the road."
That was when a man showed up.
"The truck driver suddenly appeared and rushed towards the lorry. We initially thought he might be attempting to leave the scene and shouted for him not to run," said the Stomper.
"He then got into the driver's seat, switched on the hazard lights and verbally shouted at us, 'You have no eyes to see?'
"When we attempted to reason with him, his boss – contacted by phone – stated that he had parked in the correct lot.
"My husband highlighted to him the unsafe manner in which the lorry was left unattended with the tailgate extending into the roadway.
"The boss then repeatedly said, 'You claim me, you claim me.'"
The Stomper continued: "The Traffic Police were called to the scene and informed the lorry driver that he had not parked correctly. They instructed both parties to exchange contact details and settle the matter privately since no one was injured."
She made a police report the next day and consulted a law firm.
The disappointed Stomper said: "The lawyer suggested that I was partly at fault as I admitted not being able to detect something on the road, but I must emphasised that at our eye level in the vehicle, there was no way to see or avoid the tailgate.
"The lawyer referred to the video evidence, stating that the tailgate is visible in the footage. I explained that while the tailgate is visible from the camera's elevated position, it was nearly impossible to notice from the seated position in our vehicle."
The Stomper added that the insurance company had rejected their claim.
She told Stomp: "Please remind everyone that when a vehicle is stationary – even if it is parked illegally or improperly – it will generally not be considered the party initiating an accident in situations like this.
"In this case, they were aware of their wrongdoing, yet we still cannot hold them accountable under this principle, which is why they confidently asked us to file a claim against them. That is why our claim got rejected."
In response to a Stomp query, the police confirmed a report was lodged, adding that investigations are ongoing.
The good news for the Stomper, who also reported the incident to the Housing Board, is that she received an email on Dec 15 that HDB will be taking action against the driver and owner of the illegally parked lorry.
