Man seeks apology from cyclist who slapped son after collision at Tampines junction

After his son was slapped in a road rage incident, this father isn't too keen on turning the other cheek.

The father is now seeking an apology from a man who struck his 13-year-old son after the two — on bicycles — collided with each other at a traffic junction in Tampines, Shin Min Daily News reported on Thursday (May 8).

The teenager was attempting to cross a traffic junction along Tampines Ave 7 and 12 last Friday (May 2) around 5.45pm, according to a video post of the incident uploaded to SG Road Vigilante's Facebook page the following day.

Mid-crossing, the teen appeared to struggle with the bicycle and didn't seem to notice the oncoming adult cyclist approaching from the opposite end of the junction.

While the adult cyclist managed to stop in time, the teenager did not and jerkily moved forward, colliding with the man.

In response, the man abruptly slapped the teen, causing both of them to stumble briefly before they continued on their paths.

Speaking with Shin Min, the teenager's father, surnamed Qiu (transliteration), shared on Wednesday that his son had cycled away because the crossing light was turning red.

"My son was out riding a bicycle with his friends at the time," he recalled. "They were all scared afterwards, and my son's friends called me immediately to inform me of the situation."

Having just gotten off work, Qiu took a taxi to the junction and saw that his son's left ear was red and swollen, he told the Chinese paper.

"I immediately called the police and took my son to the hospital for a check-up. Fortunately, the doctor said that there was only bruising and it's nothing serious."

Qiu stressed that the collision was an accident on his son's part, adding that the man didn't just slap his son, but also swore at him.

He hopes to receive an apology from the cyclist.

Qiu further revealed that his son had been left traumatised from the encounter and has been having nightmares, affecting his sleep.

The teen had also fallen ill with fever as a result, requiring two days of medical leave from school, Qiu claimed.

"I've found a psychologist and want him to receive counselling, but it's very expensive," said Qiu, who has advised his son not to go out alone if he's still fearful.

Hoping to get a clearer picture of the man's face, Qiu told the Chinese evening daily that he'd tried to obtain CCTV footage of the incident from the management of a nearby condominium but was turned down. 

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police confirmed that a report has been lodged and that investigations are ongoing.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com