Woman, 65, gets foot run over by taxi in Chinatown as she alights, pinned to the spot in 30-minute ordeal
A 65-year-old woman claimed that her right foot was run over by a taxi’s rear wheel as she was alighting the vehicle, pinning her there for almost 30 minutes.
The incident occurred at about 10am on June 10 along Keong Saik Road towards Craig Road, in Chinatown.
A reader, Luo (transliteration), alerted Shin Min Daily News to the incident, recalling that a woman’s foot had been run over by a taxi after she got out of the vehicle. Two fire engines were also at the scene.
The passenger, Liang Xiu Yun (transliterated), a 65-year-old jewellery designer, told Shin Min that she was travelling with her older sister in a taxi. Upon arriving at their destination, her sister, who was seated in the front passenger seat, got out first.
Liang, who was seated at the back, said she alighted and turned back to retrieve a reusable shopping bag from the vehicle.
At the time, the taxi door was still open, and half of her body remained inside the vehicle. Without warning, the driver drove forward, causing the rear wheel to roll over her right foot.
“The driver didn’t seem to understand what had happened and wanted to reverse the taxi. I immediately shouted at him to stop. If he reversed, wouldn’t my foot be run over again?” she said.
Her foot was reportedly pinned beneath the tyre for nearly half an hour before Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers freed her.
Driver purportedly smoked while woman was trapped
Liang was subsequently taken to the hospital. Although she experienced some difficulty walking and numbness in her toes, medical checks showed that she did not sustain any serious injuries.
Her sister, Liang Xiu Ying, a 77-year-old retiree, claimed that the taxi driver initially left the engine running after the incident and only switched it off after being reminded to do so.
She also alleged that the driver was smoking by the roadside while her sister was trapped. Police officers later took him aside for questioning.
Driver assisting with investigations
In response to Stomp’s queries, SCDF said it was alerted to a road traffic accident at about 10.05am.
Upon arrival, officers found a person trapped under a vehicle. SCDF used hydraulic rescue equipment to free the victim before conveying her to Singapore General Hospital.
In a separate statement, the police confirmed that they were alerted to an accident involving a taxi and a passenger.
The police spokesperson also confirmed that a 65-year-old female passenger was conveyed conscious to the hospital, while a 67-year-old male taxi driver is assisting with investigations.
Construction workers attempted to lift taxi
According to the victim’s sister, workers from a nearby construction site rushed over to help after learning about the incident. One of them even brought a chair for her sister to rest on while waiting.
“One of the workers also helped us communicate with the driver and told him not to move the taxi,” she said.
She added that about six construction workers tried to lift the taxi to free her sister, but were unable to do so as the vehicle was too heavy.
Liang said her younger sister, who is normally resilient, became visibly drained from the pain. The workers comforted her and urged her to remain calm while waiting for help to arrive, she added.
Sisters were rushing to mother’s home
Liang explained that they had planned to help tidy up their mother’s flat in Chinatown ahead of her discharge from hospital.
“We were at McDonald’s when we suddenly received a call from the moving company saying they would be arriving earlier than expected. We decided not to take the bus and hailed a taxi instead because we were in a hurry. We never expected something like this to happen when getting out of the cab,” she said.
After medical examinations at the hospital, the younger Liang said doctors found no serious injuries to her foot. She added that she does not intend to pursue the matter further.
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