Rock smashes through GrabCar driver's windscreen
Rock wrapped in paper smashes through windscreen of car on AYE. Driver says: 'I thought I hit a bird'
GrabCar driver Yeo Pei Chong was taking a passenger to Clementi Camp yesterday when a rock smashed through his windscreen, startling him and his passenger.
The incident occurred at around 6.30amon the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) towards Tuas, just after the Clementi flyover.
"I thought I had hit a bird, but then I realised there was broken glass and a rock on my front passenger seat," said the 33-year-old.
Mr Yeo said the impact from the rock, which was about twice the size of an adult man's fist, was so powerful that he and his passenger were in "total shock".
SHATTERED
The rock shattered the passenger side of the windscreen, leaving a hole where it landed. Bits of glass littered the front passenger seat.
"Luckily, my passenger was in the back... otherwise, he could have been seriously injured," said Mr Yeo, adding that both he and his passenger did not suffer any injuries.
But the incident could have caused a major accident on the AYE had the GrabCar driver not kept his nerve and continued driving.
Mr Yeo said there were several vehicles around him and he was travelling at about 80kmh.
Aware that he would cause an accident if he suddenly swerved or stopped, he did not hit the emergency break and kept going, keeping his distance from other vehicles.
He continued his journey and dropped his passenger off at Clementi Camp.
"I think he was in shock, he kept quiet all the way to his destination," Mr Yeo told The New Paper.
Afterwards, the GrabCar driver drove to Clementi Neighbourhood Police Post and made a police report.
The police confirmed a report was made.
Mr Yeo said he had an in-car camera and will hand the memory card to the police soon.
Because the rock that hit his car was wrapped in newspaper, he believed that someone had dropped it from the Clementi flyover.
"I don't know why someone would deliberately do this," he said.
Mr Yeo sent his car for repairs, which would last for about a week.
The owner of the Citroen car said he has no other source of income aside from his GrabCar job, which has been his full-time job for the last 11 months.
He said the windscreen repairs will cost him more than $100, which he hopes to claim from insurance.
"I'll try to claim loss of usage, too," he said, adding that he will take a break from work in the meantime.
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