'I don't want to live anymore': Elderly woman cries out in pain after bus runs over her foot

"I don't want to live anymore," cried out an elderly woman after her right foot was run over by an oncoming tour bus. 

The incident occured at about 9pm on Thursday (March 30) at Beach Road when the 69-year-old woman was crossing the road, reported Shin Min Daily News.

Eyewitness Wen Fu told the Chinese daily that he was about to cross the road in front of The Concourse when he heard screams coming from the other side. 

Hurrying over to the distressed voice, Wen Fu said he saw the woman sitting on the ground in immense pain. The skin on her right foot had been brutally ripped off and she was bleeding profusely. 

"She sat on the ground and wailed, while other passers-by tried to comfort her," recounted the photographer.

He also helped to contact the woman's husband, who rushed to the scene.

"She was in so much pain that she couldn't speak, I had to speak to her husband on her behalf," he added. 

When a reporter from Shin Min visited the accident site, the elderly woman had already been taken to the hospital. There was a pool of blood left on the road, an umbrella and a carton of soft drinks — likely left behind by the victim. 

A tour bus was also parked at the scene. 

A second witness surnamed Hu, who works in the vicinity told Shin Min that he saw two people banging on the bus door and yelling, while the elderly woman was sitting on the ground. 

"I called the ambulance as soon as I saw what happened, but I think several others also did the same." 

He recalled that the bus driver came down to check on the elderly lady, and promptly moved his vehicle so that the elderly woman could move her foot away. 

"Looking at her injury, it looks like her foot is broken," Hu said. 

Didn't see any pedestrians: Bus driver 

The bus driver, who declined to be named, told the Chinese daily: "I didn't see any pedestrians, I only realised someone was injured after some passers-by were banging the door." 

Describing the incident from his point-of-view, the driver said it had been drizzling, and he waited for the traffic light to turn green before turning right. 

He was on his way to pick up tourists from a hotel, and wasn't familiar with the area. 

The police told AsiaOne that they were alerted to an accident involving a bus and a pedestrian on Thursday night. 

A 69-year-old female pedestrian was taken to the hospital, and a 41-year-old male bus driver was arrested for careless driving causing grievous hurt. 

Police investigations are ongoing.

Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defense Force said they were alerted to a road traffic accident at the junction of Beach Road and Jalan Sultan. 

They confirmed that one person was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. 

ALSO READ: Cyclist run over by bus in Loyang; driver admits he saw what happened but carried on driving

claudiatan@asiaone.com