An elderly lady’s toes have been amputated after suffering serious injuries from a bus accident.
Shin Min Daily News reported on Sunday about the elderly lady who suffered serious injuries after falling off a bus when the bus driver moved off before she had disembarked fully.
The injuries sustained by the elderly lady was shown in a graphic image that went viral on social media and was earlier reported on TOC. (read report here. Warning – Graphic Image embedded)
The twitter account, _4yu which uploaded the photo wrote, “Apparently the inpatient bus driver drove away while the aunty just manage to step out 1 leg and that happen”
According to the post made by the person who took the graphic photo, the bus driver of service number 913 was visibly shaken by the accident and stayed by the side of the person.
The report by Shin Min Daily states that the accident took place at 12.54 pm at Woodlands Town Garden bus stop and that the elderly lady was on her way back home after buying vegetables from the market.
The elderly lady realised that she had taken the wrong direction on the bus and decided to cross the road to take the other bus.
She said that there was a few others in front of her disembarking from the bus and she was the last to get down the bus. The bus started to move unexpectedly half way through and the whole thing happened in a short moment.
The elderly lady said that the wheel of the bus went over her left leg, with her crying in pain and in shock.
She added that when the bus driver went down the bus to check on the situation, she withstood the pain and scolded the bus driver in Chinese, “You moved before I have gotten off the bus, you caused me to fall down”.
She also said that the driver was fearful and did not know what to do.
The elderly lady shared that her left leg would still be painful now and then but bearable.
When asked if the lady is aware that the toes of her left leg has been amputated, she said that she is aware.
“Don’t ask anymore , else I am going to cry” said the elderly lady in Chinese.
The family members have met up with the attending doctor on Sunday to discuss the skin grafting procedure, hoping that the elderly lady’s sole can be kept.
Mr Yang, the son of the elderly lady said that the operation which his mother went through was to amputate the five toes.
“If there is no contamination we wish to keep (our) mother’s sole, at least this way, she can stand up again.”
At the moment, the elderly lady’s left leg requires a pillow to be placed below it for support so that the blood would flow back. Other than that, the entry of the wound is inserted with a pipe to suck out contaminants.
Mr Yang said that the meeting with the doctor on Sunday is to discuss the skin grafting procedure, to cut a portion of skin from her pack and transplanted to the wound of the sole.
If everything is smooth, he expects the surgery to take place on Monday.
According to the report by Shin Min Daily News, one female passenger said that while she was going up onto the bus, she heard shouts by many of the passengers to the bus driver, by then the bus had moved back a few paces.
She said that she went down the bus to have a look, and discovered that the elderly lady was sitting sideways on the floor. The left leg that was by the side of the wheels had already been severely injured and bleeding profusely, and was very scary.
The female passenger added that she went forward and saw the elderly lady’s purse, inside had a piece of card written with a contact number, and therefore informed the elderly lady’s family that she had an accident.
The female passenger also said that the sidewards sitting position of the elderly lady seems to be exhausting for her and therefore requested another male individual to stand beside the elderly lady to support her until the ambulance arrives.
The elderly lady express gratitude towards the female passenger for extending her helping hand.
In an earlier statement by SMRT, it said that the woman suffered a “serious injury to her left leg” during the incident at Woodlands Town Garden bus stop.
SMRT also added that members of the public and the bus driver administered first aid while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
“We have met the lady’s son to apologise for the incident and will extend assistance to the family as best as we can,” said Ms Margaret Teo, head of corporate marketing and communications at SMRT.
SMRT said it has suspended the bus captain from driving, who is assisting with investigations by the police.
“We are sorry for the distress and inconvenience caused to passengers and passers-by who may have been affected by the incident,” Ms Teo also said.
