By Terry Xu
The Online Citizen was approached by a family to share their story of the accident that had largely affected their life.
Last year on the 24th November 2012, 8.45pm. Regina was riding on her friend’s bicycle as a pillion rider for dinner and when they cycled to the junction between Balestier Road and Moulmein Road, they were knocked down by a passing taxi at the traffic light pedestrian crossing. For Regina’s friend, he had only suffered light injuries but unfortunately for Regina, she suffered head injuries and had blood clots in her brain from the accident. She was sent immediately for an operation that very night.
After 16 days of being in a coma, Regina regains consciousness much to the delight of her family.
Regina is currently on physiotherapy and training to help regain her physical abilities of walking, balancing and to manage basic needs like bathing, eating and changing clothes. But she is in a state of confusion still. Her surgeon said that she will not be 100% like before.
This had been particularly devastating towards Regina and her family as Regina had been a student with excellent academic results under trying circumstances. She was previously interviewed by the Lian He Wan Bao for her determination to do well in school so that she could show her gratitude towards her mom who had to work in two jobs.
The driver involved in the accident visited Regina’s friend who was also injured in this accident on 25 Nov 2012, immediately in the following day. Although the friend had told the driver my sister’s particulars and that she was in ICU, but the taxi driver claimed that he was denied access, but the family said they did not see him visiting the ward.
The driver went down to SPH to be interviewed and in the report, claimed that he did not realize that he had knocked into 2 persons from the front of his vehicle till his 3 adult passengers shouted at him. The driver did not go over to Regina’s side to help and stood by the side of his cab to watch on from a distance and he presumed that Regina should be suffering minor injury despite that blood was coming out from her head and ears.
The other side of the story is that the family heard from Regina’s friend who was the other victim in the traffic accident is that even a lady driver from the opposite side of traffic stopped her car to help the two of them. A pedestrian who was just happened to be crossing the road also helped to direct the oncoming vehicles so that both of them would be safe where they were. The driver who knocked them down, however, was actually standing afar doing nothing.
Regina’s mom broke down in tears when she saw what the driver had said in the newspaper report. All while Regina was still battling for her precious life at the intense care unit (ICU) in coma and infections. The family were equally shocked at the fact that the driver could still drive his cab all the way down to Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) to give his share of the story to the reporters there and taking photos besides his cab.
The family questions the company on why was this driver still allowed to be on the road, endangering other innocent lives so immediately after the accident?
ComfortDelgro sent their PR executive down two weeks later after the media had contacted them. The family expressed much disappointment at how the company managed this issue. The company had sent a hamper to the family despite being told not to do so. The hamper was promptly rejected by the family and sent back to the company.
The family did not hear from the company after their second call following the initial visit. They did not even know that the company has sacked the driver involved in the accident after he went to media without the company’s knowledge, which was then informed to them via a journalist.
Unfortunately for the family, there was no insurance purchased for Regina with only a mere payout from the side of polytechnic that she studies in. Her family have been struggling to overcome this accident as Regina may require another surgery and she would have to undergo a lot more treatments even after she is discharged. However, her family would want to see Regina fight her way back to the best state of the condition regardless of the future operations or extensive therapy that is going to be needed in future.
TOC had contacted the ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited over this accident to ask for their input,
Ms Tammy Tan, Group Corporate Communications Officer replied on 9th January,
“We came to know about this unfortunate accident soon after it happened and immediately went down to the hospital to visit Ms Quay. Her family however asked that she not be disturbed and we respected their request. We are in contact with her family and are glad to hear that Ms Quay is recuperating. We have also terminated the hiring agreement of the driver involved and are assisting the Police in their investigations.”
Regina’s family express their intention to see that the culprit and the taxi company bear full responsibility and compensation for everything that Regina and the family had to suffer due to this accident. They are in the process of seeking legal advice and intends to file a lawsuit against Comfortdelgro and the driver involved in the accident.