SBS Transit staff praised for helping distressed elderly woman lying on road in Boon Lay

An elderly woman lay down across a road outside Boon Lay Bus Interchange on Wednesday (March 25) afternoon, causing traffic to come to a standstill.

Videos of the incident posted online show a man waving his arm, signalling for oncoming vehicles to slow down.

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Thanks to the SBS Transit staff, the elderly woman remained safe despite traffic building up behind her. #sgnews #Singapore #Road #NotAllHeroesWearCapes

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Wong Chee Chuon, an assistant interchange supervisor at SBS Transit, had received a report about the congestion and hurried outside to check the situation.

"When I saw her lying in the middle of the road, I didn't think further — my priority was her safety," he recounted in a commendation post made by the transport operator on Friday.

Wong told Lianhe Zaobao that the woman kept her eyes shut and remained silent. She did not appear to be in pain or have breathing difficulties.

"I asked her if she needed help, but she didn't respond. Then I tried to help her up, but she started struggling and told me not to touch her," he said.

Despite the woman's resistance, Wong persevered in his efforts and managed to fetch her to the roadside with the help of a SMRT staff member, the report stated.

"When paramedics arrived, he continued to stay by her side, even supporting her from the back in case she fell," SBS Transit wrote.

"Although she became increasingly agitated and resisted help, Chee Chuon remained composed and patient."

While the woman had repeatedly yelled for them to leave her alone, he continued soothing her, explaining that they were trying to help, according to Zaobao.

It is unclear why the woman was lying on the road.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they received a call for assistance along Jurong West Central 3 at about 3.50pm, and a person was taken to Ng Teng Fong Hospital.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com