Johor crash victim still asking for mummy

The little boy orphaned in the Christmas Day car accident will be cared for by his maternal grandparents, his aunt told reporters yesterday.

Speaking at the wake of her elder sister, her brother-in-law and her nephew, Madam Claire Ng Khai Hiang said that three-year-old Evan, who was the sole survivor of the fiery crash in Malaysia, still does not fully understand what has happened to his parents and his elder brother.

At about 6am last Friday, a Land Rover sports utility vehicle driven by Evan's father, Mr Barnabas Lim, 45, collided with another car while heading in the direction of Mersing, Johor.

Both vehicles burst into flames.

Mr Lim, who runs a car grooming business, his wife Kristen Ng, 39, a real estate agent, and his six-year-old son, Rayshon, died in the accident.

The driver of the other vehicle, a Malaysian woman, was also killed in the crash. 

Evan was rescued by a good Samaritan who pulled him out of the wreckage moments before it was engulfed in flames.

He sustained second and third degree burns to his lower legs and left ear and has some minor injuries to his arms. He is being treated at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, said Madam Ng.

She said she found out about the accident from the Internet at around lunch time on Christmas Day, when Evan's picture was being circulated on social media in hopes of reuniting him with surviving family members.

At about the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) told the family about what had happened.

"Everything was happening at the same time, so it was all a blur," Madam Ng said.

Evan is recovering well, though visitors have to be limited to minimise the risk of infection.

He will not attend his parents' and brother's wake for the same reason.

"We've told him what happened, but I don't think he fully understands (what is going on).

"We'll need to slowly talk to him to explain what has happened," Madam Ng said, adding that her nephew has been asking for his mother.

She was speaking to the media yesterday at the Lims' wake at Trinity Casket funeral parlour in Sin Ming Drive.

Three caskets lay side by side, the middle one slightly smaller. A family picture of Mr Lim, his wife and son, all beaming widely, stood before the coffins.

Madam Ng described her sister as someone who was very family-oriented, often posting pictures of her two young boys and taking them to places that were child-friendly.

Rayshon was due to start Primary 1 next week.

Madam Kristen Ng had met her husband when they both attended New Creation Church in the early 2000s, her sister said. The family attended the church until their untimely deaths.

For now, Madam Ng's mother has been helping to care for Evan and will continue to look after him after he is discharged.

But there are details that have not been finalised yet, including what to do about the Lims' flat in Sengkang, which the family will have to make a decision on in the coming days.

HOSPITAL

Madam Ng also took the opportunity to thank a couple whose child was in the same ward as Evan at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baru.

"They helped to keep him entertained, even lending him a mobile phone so he could watch videos on it," said Madam Ng.

She said the unnamed couple also shared their son's toys with him.

Madam Ng also thanked MFA, whose officers have been assisting the family with various arrangements.

Added Madam Ng's husband, Mr Darius Liew, 36: "This is a difficult time for us so the family is banding together."

He asked that the family be allowed to grieve in private.

The funeral is on Tuesday.

This article was first published on Dec 28, 2015.
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