Mercedes driver crashes into 2 pedestrians outside Esplanade Mall, gets arrested for drink driving
The driver of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle was arrested for drink driving after allegedly crashing into two pedestrians outside Esplanade Mall, causing one of them to suffer injuries to her spine.
Mr Zhao, an eyewitness, alerted Shin Min Daily News to the accident, which occurred at around 10pm on Sept 16 along Raffles Avenue, saying that a woman was hit by a car and was struggling to get up.
The woman was semi-conscious at the time and reached for her back occasionally. Several passers-by later came forward to render assistance and called the ambulance.
Driver accused of failing to check on victims after crash
Speaking to the Chinese daily, Zhao said the injured woman was accompanied by a group, one of whom hit his leg against a stone block and sustained abrasions to his arm.
The man thought nothing of it initially, but later experienced chest tightness and dizziness, and was also taken away in an ambulance.
Zhao also accused the driver of failing to check on the victims, saying he ran behind a bush immediately after the crash without attending to the injured woman.
Members of the group had told Zhao that the driver reeked of alcohol and was putting up a calm front.
When police officers arrived at the scene, the driver allegedly tried shaking hands with them, but was ignored.
When Shin Min reporters arrived at the scene, the Mercedes was seen resting on the kerb with its airbags deployed.
Police officers were seen interrogating the driver — a man dressed in white who appeared nervous — before taking him into custody at about 11pm.
Woman sustains serious injuries and requires surgery
Shin Min contacted Mr Zhou, the man who sustained injuries, while he was receiving treatment at the hospital.
Recalling the incident, Zhou said he and his colleagues were heading to a bus stop when the vehicle crashed into them.
He added that the woman, who was walking ahead of the group at the time, was thrown into the air by the impact. Zhou was subsequently struck by her, causing him to collide with a stone bollard.
Fortunately, he only suffered minor injuries.
“My female colleague’s injuries were quite serious. The doctor said she had a fractured spine and needed surgery,” said Zhou.
He said that he and the other three members of the group are from China and work in the financial and insurance sector.
They never expected to be involved in a traffic accident on a business trip, let alone on their very first day.
As he only suffered minor injuries, Zhou said he was discharged the day after the accident and returned to his hotel to rest.
As for his female colleague, who suffered more severe injuries, Zhou said her family members have been notified and are making their way to Singapore from China.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the Mercedes crashed into a stone bollard and an electrical box located next to a lamp post designated for use during the upcoming F1 race.
Following the collision, workers were seen arriving at the scene and working through the night to resolve the issue.
Driver arrested for drink driving
In response to Stomp’s queries, the police said they were alerted to the incident at about 10pm on Sept 16.
Two pedestrians, a 40-year-old woman and a 41-year-old man were conveyed conscious to the hospital. According to the Singapore Civil Defence Force, the pair were conveyed to Singapore General Hospital.
A 42-year-old male driver was arrested for drink driving and is assisting with ongoing police investigations.
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