PHV driver, 71, recounts terrifying accident on ECP: 'I haven't been able to sleep'
A 71-year-old private-hire driver whose car was struck by a large tree branch on the East Coast Parkway (ECP), says he had to comfort the passenger he was ferrying at the time, even as he was taken to hospital after his blood pressure spiked.
The branch shattered his windscreen and dented the roof of his car, and may well have claimed his life - and he is now facing insurance issues as well.
Mr Fang (transliterated) told Shin Min Daily News reported that he was driving toward the city near the Ford Road exit at around 1.35pm on Nov 29, when the branch fell onto his vehicle.
Authorities say that a tall vehicle travelling in the first lane struck a rain tree (Samanea saman) branch, causing it to snap and fall onto trailing vehicles in the first and second lanes.
The accident involved a trailer and five cars, with three people - Mr Fang, his female passenger and another driver - sent to hospital.
'I was completely stunned'
At the time of the accident, Mr Fang noticed a trailer driving at high speed on the ECP. "The other vehicle was quite tall. I saw it break a branch off a nearby tree, causing the branch to fall."
The branch struck his car, shattering the windshield and landing on the front seat next to him. "I was completely stunned and couldn't react at first," Mr Fang recalled.
"Acting on instinct, I steered the car to the side and got out, but the door wouldn't open until I kicked it to get out."
Mr Fang comforted his passenger, who was in tears, and helped her out of the car. "I saw other vehicles some distance away were also damaged but couldn't tell their condition. Some drivers stopped to check on us and offer comfort."
Paramedics arrived and took them to hospital. "My blood pressure spiked, and I couldn't stand," he said, although he was discharged on the same day. The passenger also suffered cuts on her head and feet.
Mr Fang is still shaken and afraid to drive again. "I haven't been able to sleep for the past few days and am feeling terrified. I will decide whether to continue driving after I calm down."
Severe damage leaves car beyond repair
Following the accident, Mr Fang took the car to a repair shop, where an inspection revealed severe engine damage, rendering it a total loss.
"We had originally planned to handle the matter through insurance, but we can't apply for compensation without the other party or the license plate of the trailer that left the scene."
He added that the car's dashcam was also lost in the accident. "The impact caused parts to detach, and we couldn't recover the dashcam. We hope any witnesses with information or dashcam footage will contact us to help locate the trailer."
Dashcam footage reveals more crash details
With several cars damaged, Mr Fang said dashcam footage from a car behind him helped him piece together the incident.
The footage captures a large trailer in the far-right lane hitting a tree branch, which then fell onto a red sedan and Mr Fang's car.
Videos circulating online show the red car's roof smashed, its windshield shattered, and the branch lodged inside the vehicle. The front airbags have been deployed, and the car's body appears to be badly dented.
