Canal crash victims' patriarch: I'm just lost

He lost his family overnight when his wife and only child died in a freak accident when their car crashed into Alexandra Canal on Sunday night.

Two days later, Robin Poon, 50, still does not know the circumstances which caused the silver Mercedes Yep Lay Choo, 51, and daughter, Kimberly Poon, 22, were in to end up in the 2m-deep canal.

Witnesses said the car had exited the basement carpark at the back of Valley Point Shopping Centre and crashed through the barrier by the canal 40m straight ahead.

Speaking at the mortuary yesterday morning while waiting to collect their bodies, Mr Poon, who runs a car repair business, was at a loss about what to do about his "princesses".

He said his wife was a very quiet woman and a "workaholic".

[[nid:259210]]

Madam Yep was a human resources manager at a family-run maritime logistics company.

Mr Poon described his daughter, who was in a logistics and supply chain management course at the Singapore Institute of Management, as a "very easy-going and bubbly person".

"I'm just lost," he added.

The last time he saw them alive was on Sunday afternoon when the family went out for lunch. They had gone to an Italian restaurant at Hotel Vagabond in Syed Alwi Road, then had a foot massage at Tanjong Pagar.

They then went their separate ways for dinner as Mr Poon had a work appointment. "That was the last I saw them," he said.

Madam Yep and Ms Poon took the Mercedes E250, which is registered under the name of Madam Yep's brother, and went for dinner at Valley Point Shopping Centre.

After that, they went grocery shopping at a FairPrice supermarket there.

Madam Yep's brother, Yep Tai Sai, 54, said closed-circuit television footage from the mall showed the pair walking happily in the carpark carrying grocery bags.

"They were smiling and walking to the car, nothing was wrong," he noted.

But a few minutes later, the car exited the basement carpark and Madam Yep, who was driving, appeared to lose control of the vehicle.

Mr Poon said his wife had 20 years of driving experience and a good record.

The police said they received a call at 9.02pm requesting for assistance at the canal near 491 River Valley Road.

Both women were manually extricated by rescue divers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force's Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team from the vehicle, which was fully submerged.

Post-accident footage of the car, when it had been removed from the canal, showed that the front was dented and its airbags had deployed.

Both women were pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics.

Police are investigating and treating the case as unnatural death.

The wake for Madam Yep and Ms Poon will be held at Block 414, Woodlands Street 41 until Thursday.

lesterh@sph.com.sg

Get MyPaper for more stories.