Driver chases runaway car in Ang Mo Kio after forgetting to pull the brakes, watches it crash into another

One moment, the car was beside her. The next, it had rolled away on its own.

In dashcam footage uploaded to Facebook on Wednesday (Mar 10), a driver exiting a carpark was seen stepping out of her Toyota Prius+ to insert her cashcard into a parking gantry in Ang Mo Kio when the vehicle began moving off without her.

She quickly gave chase and held onto the open door, but the car crashed through the gantry barrier, forcing her to let go as she ducked under the obstruction. While the woman managed to grab a hold of the car door handle again, it did little to stall the vehicle.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/SGRVigilante/posts/3794980587263297[/embed]

The car continued rolling down the road, only coming to a stop after hitting another stationary vehicle. It was a close shave for the other driver, who jumped out of harm's way right after parking his car.

The video of the incident has since gone viral on Facebook, garnering over 2,600 shares at the time of writing, with many netizens questioning how it even happened, or if she was a new driver as there was a probation plate on the rear window of the car.  

Some pointed out that the particular car model did not have a conventional handbrake and gear shift — it featured a 'parking' button instead — and they reasoned the woman might have left the car in a neutral gear instead.

Another added that it might have a good thing that the woman didn't manage to hop back into her car, in case she stepped on the accelerator by accident.

Regardless, they advised: "Please secure the car before leaving your car!"

In 2016, following the death of a Star Trek actor whose jeep rolled down a slope and killed him, motoring magazine Torque advised: "It would be best to engage your car's parking brakes and turn off the engine — even if you are leaving the vehicle momentarily."

rainercheung@asiaone.com