Woman on boy who crashed into her on e-bike: 'I don't blame the child'

Two elderly sisters were walking on the pavement when an electric bicycle charged towards them.

Before Madam Nancy Tay, 71, could dodge it, the bicycle - ridden by a boy - scraped her right shin, causing her to stumble.

Her younger sister, Madam Lucy Tay, 64, was not so lucky.

The bicycle continued at full speed and hit her in the right shin, causing a hairline fracture.

The incident happened at about 10.30pm on Wednesday after the sisters attended the wake of a relative at Block 174, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4.

Madam Lucy Tay, a retiree, said: "I saw the bicycle hit my elder sister and before I could even blink, the bicycle hit me.

"My leg swelled up into a bun immediately."

The cyclist was about 10 years old, she said.

Under Land Transport Authority rules, cyclists of electric bicycles must be at least 16 years old.

Their brother, Mr Ronald Tay, 59, also noticed the bicycle had been illegally modified.

There was a throttle installed and the pedals had been removed, said Mr Tay, who is a dealer of kick scooters and electric scooters.

He said: "This means that it was working just like an illegal motorcycle."

Madam Lucy Tay said the boy, who was with two adults, rushed back to his home upstairs after the accident.

The grandmother of two said: "I was in a lot of pain and my heart was pounding so quickly. I kept shouting at the two adults who were with the boy, asking them how they could allow a child to ride the bicycle on his own."

The sisters were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

INJURIES

Madam Nancy Tay suffered some cuts and bruises while Madam Lucy Tay had to get a cast for a hairline crack.

"The doctor said I will be in a cast for six weeks and I bought a crutch. I couldn't sleep the whole night and have been feeling nauseous since the incident," said Madam Lucy Tay.

"I'm concerned about the inconvenience to my health and that my leg will never be the same again.

"I don't blame the child, but I think his parents should bear responsibility for my medical fees."

Mr Tay thinks that there should be mandatory insurance for such vehicles.

"These vehicles could kill and maim. If their owners have insurance, they will think twice before acting rashly and illegally modifying their vehicles," he said.

A police spokesman said it was established that a case of rash act causing grievous hurt had occurred.

Police investigations are ongoing.

This article was first published on December 4, 2015.
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