Woman was in a private-hire vehicle with friend when it crashed into bus in Yishun
A 23-year-old woman has died after the private-hire vehicle (PHV) she was in crashed into the back of a bus in Yishun.
A photo of the aftermath sent in by a Shin Min Daily News reader showed a silver car behind a Tower Transit bus, its windows shattered and door open.
Several Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers were at the scene.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Woman dies in hospital after Yishun accident
In response to queries from MS News, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it was alerted to the accident at about 5.35am last Saturday (2 Aug).
It took place at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Central 1 and involved a car and bus.
One passenger in the car, a 23-year-old woman, was sent to the hospital unconscious.
Another passenger, a 20-year-old woman, and the car driver, a 47-year-old man, were also sent to the hospital in a conscious state.
SCDF, which was alerted at about 5.40am, told MS News that it conveyed all three individuals to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
However, the 23-year-old woman subsequently passed away in hospital.
Police investigations are ongoing.
Deceased to be cremated on 5 Aug
The deceased was identified as Ms Queenie Leong Wei Ni by a netizen who said she was her aunt.
Sharing the obituary in a Facebook post, the woman said she was shocked to receive the news and urged drivers not to drive if they are tired.
Source: Pam Teo on Facebook
Ms Leong’s wake is being held at Block 162 Yishun Street 11, with her cremation at Mandai Crematorium on Tuesday (5 Aug) afternoon.
Woman was riding in private-hire vehicle to mother’s place in Yishun
Speaking to Shin Min, Ms Leong’s 49-year-old father, who is a PHV driver, said his daughter was on her way to her mother’s place as they were set to travel to Malaysia together.
Riding with a friend, they were only about five to 10 minutes away from their destination when the accident occurred, he added.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Her friend, Ms Wang Meiyi (transliterated from Mandarin), 20, said their PHV driver was driving erratically on the expressway, slamming on the brakes and accelerator often.
His hands were also shaking, which she initially attributed to tiredness.
Ms Leong was napping in the back seat when the vehicle crashed violently near Northpoint City.
Ms Wang’s hand hit the back of the seat, while Ms Leong was believed to have hit her head and fallen into her friend’s lap, unconscious.
Friend tried to perform CPR on her
“There was blood all over her head, nose and mouth. I called her name and she moved slightly,” said Ms Wang.
She tried to save her by performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the car, but as her hand was injured and in pain, she could not do much.
The PHV driver turned back to look at them with a pained expression, then fainted before opening the door.
Ms Wang then got out of the vehicle and called for help, with the bus driver coming to their aid and calling the authorities.
When paramedics arrived, she asked them to take Ms Leong to the hospital first, and they kept telling her that she would be fine, she added.
Friend distraught at woman’s passing
Distraught when she attended the wake on Sunday (3 Aug), Ms Wang said Ms Leong was like a sister to her.
She felt guilty that she could not save her, with the tragedy leaving a deep scar on her.
She started crying uncontrollably at her coffin and had to be comforted by Ms Leong’s mother.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Ms Wang’s father, 53, who is also a PHV driver, said he was concerned about his daughter’s emotional state as she suffered a breakdown upon learning of Ms Leong’s death and had to be administered a sedative.
She had previously suffered from depression and is now afraid to take a PHV ride, he added.
He plans to take legal action against the driver, saying his daughter suffered a fractured arm among other injuries.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
She won a scholarship & aspired to become an accountant
Ms Leong’s father wept several times during the interview, describing his daughter as well-behaved and filial.
Not only did she work part-time while studying, she also took care of her younger siblings and aspired to become a professional accountant, he said.
According to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central’s Instagram account, Ms Leong graduated with a Higher Nitec in Accounting from its School of Business and Services as one of its Outstanding Graduates in March 2024.
Source: @itecollegecentral on Instagram
In July 2024, she was one of 10 ITE graduates to be awarded the Ng Teng Yeng Lifelong Learning Scholarship.
She was pursuing a Work-Study Diploma in Accountancy, ITE said.
Source: @itespore on Instagram
Mr Leong said she aspired to find a good job as an accountant after graduation and take care of her family, but she never got to do it.
He plans to take legal action against the PHV driver too, hoping that the police will complete investigations quickly so the family can have justice.
Also read: S’porean passenger & M’sian PHV driver killed after accident with lorry in JB
S’porean passenger & M’sian PHV driver killed after accident with lorry in JB
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Featured image adapted from @itespore on Instagram and Shin Min Daily News.
