'Count his lucky stars': Youth struck by taxi while dashing across Yio Chu Kang Road, netizens react

He may have been in a rush, but the time he saved crossing the street may have cost him his life.

A youth was seen dashing across a pedestrian crossing at a junction along Yio Chu Kang on Tuesday (July 29) evening, according to a post on Facebook group Singapore Road Vigilante (SGRV) the same day.

Based on the clip, the accident is believed to have occurred at the junction of Yio Chu Kang Road and Hougang Avenue 9.

In the video, the youth, carrying a bag, can be seen pausing for a moment at the side of the junction, before making a dash across the crossing while the pedestrian lights were still red.

However, as he reaches the left-most lane, a taxi appears.

Unable to stop in time, he makes contact with the right side of the cab, and is sent tumbling to the ground, landing on his side.

In the collision, the youth drops his phone to the ground, while a blue object — possibly the taxi's sideview mirror — also falls onto the road towards the middle of the junction.

Fortunately, the youth is able to get back on his feet, picking up his phone before walking over to the other side of the crossing.

He then signals to the taxi driver who had come to a stop down the road, with a gesture that netizens interpreted as indicating he was okay.

In the post on SGRV, the user who shared the video wrote: "[He] should count his lucky stars to be able to get back up and walk across the road."

Many commenters were upset by the teen's negligence towards safety, with one user asking why the youth couldn't "even wait for just a few seconds".

"Please, [even] if you don't treasure your life, [you shouldn't] cause others trouble," said the user, with another indicating that the youth was at fault.

"Obviously a run and hit incident, the pedestrian run and hit a car," they wrote.

Another noted how close the pedestrian might have been to death, stating: "Two steps faster and his parents can prepare funeral arrangements."

A comment also advised other pedestrians to practice caution when crossing roads: "Please be very careful and look out for traffic on the road, especially [if you rush or run] across the road."

The user explained that pedestrians could end up in the driver's blind spot and might not see them as they cross, causing accidents to occur.

"Safety first," he emphasised.

The police, when contacted by AsiaOne, said that a report has been lodged and investigations are ongoing.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com