Audi sports car bangs down 4 lamp posts in Bras Basah
There were four accidents in less than 24 hours this week, two of which were fatal.
A white Audi R8 V10 knocked over four lamp posts on Bras Basah Road towards Raffles Boulevard in a pre-dawn crash.
The police were alerted to the accident at 5.56am yesterday.
They arrested the 31-year-old driver of the sports car for suspected drink driving. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to Singapore General Hospital for treatment.
The New Paper understands that the driver had lost control of his vehicle while travelling in the right-most lane of the four-lane road.
There was a female passenger in the car. Her condition is unknown.
Social media was abuzz over the accident, with pictures showing the front bumper dislodged and a wheel at the side of the road.
When TNP arrived at the scene, there were pieces of the car strewn all over the pavement.
The right-most lane of the four-lane road was cordoned off, causing a traffic jam that stretched about 1.3km.
Four of the five lamp posts on the stretch next to the Cathedral of Good Shepherd were knocked over.
AFTERMATH
Three cleaners working at the NTUC Income Centre opposite the cathedral told TNP they saw the aftermath of the accident when they reported to work at 6am yesterday.
They said the driver was no longer at the scene then.
Road safety expert Gerard Pereira, manager at the Singapore Safety Driving Centre, said the driver must had been speeding to knock down four lamp posts.
He told TNP: "Had he braked when he hit the first lamp post, he would've knocked down one instead of four.
"It is possible that he lost control of the car or maybe dozed off."
Singapore Road Safety Council chairman Bernard Tay said: "It is difficult to jump to conclusion but to hit four lamp posts, it is possible that there was something wrong with the car or the brakes, or the driver was not in the right condition to drive."
Mr Pereira said although the accident took place in the wee hours of the morning, the driver was lucky he did not hit anyone.
"Regardless of the time of the day, someone could have been hit," he said. "If this had happened later and there was heavier traffic, it would have been harder for him to speed.
"He would have been more alert because other vehicles would be surrounding him."
Mr Pereira stressed that drivers should never drive and drink.
Netizens have taken to social media to express their outrage.
Student Lee Hong Zhu, 23, told TNP that when he heard about the accident, he was angry because it could have been people instead of lamp posts.
"Thankfully it was only some lamp posts, they can be replaced," he said.
"People should not drink and drive. Not only are they endangering their own lives, they're also endangering others."
TNP previously reported that if a driver crashes into a lamp post, and it needs to be replaced, it will cost the driver $2,000.
People should not drink and drive. Not only are they endangering their own lives, they're also endangering others.
- Student Lee Hong Zhu
Earlier accidents
YESTERDAY, 11.50AM, CTE
A black Toyota (photo) flipped onto its side on the Central Expressway (CTE) shortly before noon yesterday.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said the accident took place near the Jalan Bahagia exit towards the Seletar Expressway.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force was alerted to the accident at 11.47am and dispatched an ambulance. But the driver, a man in his 20s, declined to be taken to the hospital.
The New Paper understands that the driver had lost control of the car, causing it to flip onto its left side.
Mr Juju, 30, a private paramedic who declined to give his full name, was driving his patient home at around 11.45am when he witnessed the accident.
He told TNP: "I was on the CTE after the Jalan Bahagia exit when I saw the car hit the centre divider and flip.
"Two cars stopped on the side and two people were knocking on the car window, trying to get the driver out.
"But the driver, who was dressed in white, climbed out by himself. He didn't look injured."
LTA said the accident affected the right-most lane and caused a 6km-long traffic jam on the CTE.
MONDAY, 10PM, NORTH BRIDGE ROAD
A 47-year-old man was crossing North Bridge Road when a car hit him, Shin Min Daily News reported.
A police spokesman said the victim was taken unconscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Madam Goh, a 61-year-old saleswoman, told Shin Min that she saw the driver being questioned by the police. The front of the car was badly damaged.
MONDAY, 7PM, JALAN BUROH
A motorcyclist died after colliding with a lorry (photo) at the junction of Jalan Buroh and Jurong Port Road.
The 52-year-old rider was making a right turn when he collided with the oncoming lorry.
The motorcycle ended up lodged under the rear wheel of the lorry.
A police spokesman said the motorcyclist was conscious when he was taken to National University Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Police investigations are ongoing for all the accidents.
Alcohol stays in blood stream even hours later
This festive season, remember not to drive if you intend to make merry - even if you think you're okay because you consumed alcohol many hours ago.
You could still be unfit to drive, said road safety expert Gerard Pereira, manager at the Singapore Safety Driving Centre. There may be traces of alcohol still in your blood stream.
He told The New Paper: "Many drivers think the alcohol is gone after several hours but there may still be traces of it in your blood stream.
"If you get pulled over for drink driving, the blood test can detect it."
But Mr Pereira believes more Singaporeans are aware of the consequences of drink driving.
"They value their driving licence, and they know the consequences they may bring to others and to themselves," he said.
There has been a drop in the number of drink-driving accidents this year, The Straits Times reported last month.
Traffic Police statistics reveal there were 70 drink-driving accidents from January to June this year - down from 81 year-on-year. Fatalities in such cases fell from eight to three, although cases of injuries rose from 102 to 109.
Overall, the number of people arrested for drink driving has also dropped from 3,019 in 2013 to 2,303 last year.
Nonetheless, during this festive season, the Traffic Police will step up on their anti-drink driving campaign.
Mr Pereira advises: "Don't stress about driving. If you really want to enjoy, don't drive at all. If you drive to drink, you still have to stress about driving home later."
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