He dies after 4-day coma

SINGAPORE - Less than an hour after they said goodbye last Thursday, her friend was involved in an accident.

Four days later, he was dead.

When Kim turned up for class last Friday, she found it strange that the seat that Mr Leo Lee, 22, usually occupied at Temasek Polytechnic (TP) was empty.

Kim, 19, learnt of the tragedy only when their supervisor told the students that Mr Lee was in a coma at Changi General Hospital (CGH).

Mr Lee was in the same mechatronics course as Kim.

Out of respect for Mr Lee's family, Kim requested that her real name not be used.

While on his way home on his motorcycle, Mr Lee was involved in an accident on Bedok Reservoir Road near the Pan- Island Expressway at 6.50pm.

Mr Lee suffered severe injuries that put intense pressure on his brain, his sister revealed in a Facebook post on Saturday.

Police said he was taken unconscious to CGH.

Kim and Mr Lee became friends when they were assigned to the same supervisor for their final-year project.

The year-three students began their project last month and were due to graduate next May.

"Leo was very helpful. When I asked him questions, he would explain (the answers to me) patiently," Kim said.

"Sometimes, he didn't know the answers and I thought that was it. But the next day, he would tell me the answer after having researched it."

Last Saturday, Mr Lee's sister, Raine, posted on his Facebook account that the family had decided to withdraw life support.

She urged friends to see him soon if they could, saying: "It's any time now. Lend us your support as we all stay strong together as one for him."

Kim said that when she visited Mr Lee on the same day, she saw about 60 TP students at the hospital. Mr Lee was everyone's friend, she added. He had an adventurous and cheerful personality that made him approachable.

Mr Cheong Wai Loon, 20, met Mr Lee during the freshman orientation camp last year. The recent TP graduate was the head of the sub-committee Mr Lee was in and was proud to have mentored him.

INFECTIOUS ENERGY

Said Mr Cheong: "He did things with infectious energy. He did not shy away from pressure, but conquered it and stepped out of his comfort zone." Mr Lee had many passions, including dance, biking and skating.

Another TP student said she met Mr Lee at TP's Freestyle Skate Club in 2012.

The third-year hospitality and tourism management student, who did not want to be named, said: "Leo was very outgoing and didn't exclude the new members. Many of those close to Leo are now having trouble focusing in school. It's tough to concentrate and the blow has really tired me out mentally."

Some of Mr Lee's friends began folding paper cranes on Sunday as "a symbol of hope and strength" and she said there were at least 200 of the birds in the ward when Mr Lee died at 10.29am on Monday.

His family is appealing for witnesses to the accident to come forward.

BY THE NUMBERS

73

The number of motorcyclists and pillion riders who died last year.

This article was first published on May 28, 2014.
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