Tree falls on MPV in Dempsey, crushing roof and trapping driver inside
A tree came crashing down on a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in Dempsey, crushing part of its roof and trapping the driver inside.
Stomper Chris shared photos of the aftermath of the incident, which happened along Loewen Road on Aug 22.
“A massive tree collapse in Dempsey,” he said. “Driver was lucky to escape, honestly.”
The photos show a large tree trunk lying across the rear half of a white Nissan MPV, which had its roof badly crushed and some of its windows shattered.
Branches and foliage can also be seen strewn across the road and surrounding the vehicle.
In response to a Stomp query, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance along 75 Loewen Road at about 10am.
“No ambulance assistance was required,” an SCDF spokesperson said.
Driver tried to reverse as tree toppled
According to The Straits Times, the driver was a 60-year-old private-hire driver who gave his name as Saiful.
He was turning his vehicle out of the Museum of Ice Cream when he heard a loud crackling sound and saw the tree to the left of his vehicle beginning to topple.
Saiful tried to reverse, but part of the tree had already fallen onto the passenger side of the MPV, crushing the roof.
The impact left him trapped inside as he was unable to open the door.
Employees from a nearby spa subsequently came to his aid and freed him from the driver’s seat. He was unhurt.
A parked blue BMW was also affected by the fallen tree, with branches landing on its bonnet.
SLA assessing incident
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) told ST that it responded to the incident with relevant stakeholders and agencies.
Its immediate priority was to ensure public safety, secure the affected area and safely remove the fallen tree to minimise disruption.
SLA said it would work with the relevant parties to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine whether follow-up measures, including checks on surrounding trees, were needed.
The road, which had been blocked while contractors removed parts of the tree, was reopened by 5pm, after the affected vehicles were cleared.
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