She's now scared of bicycles

She's now scared of bicycles

Retired fishmonger Ng Seok Choon, 74, and his wife, Madam Chng Kian, 69, were walking to the bus stop near their Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 home on the evening of May 17 when she was hit by a cyclist, who was riding on the pavement.

They were going to visit some friends nearby for a karaoke session.

The accident happened just as Madam Chng stepped off the last step of a flight of stairs leading to the bus stop. A bicycle whizzed past and knocked her to the ground.

When Mr Ng saw what happened, he asked for the identity card of the cyclist, Lim Choon Teck.

But before he could finish writing down all of Lim's particulars, the cyclist, who never got off his bicycle, snatched his IC back and sped off.

All this while, Madam Chng lay on the ground, in too much pain to get up.

A good Samaritan called for an ambulance which took her to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where it was found that she had suffered several fractures in her right arm and arm socket.

Madam Chng, who spoke to The New Paper at her home yesterday, still has problems raising her right arm, with the wrist visibly more swollen than her left.

She still goes for weekly physiotherapy sessions and does the prescribed daily exercises at home.

Talking about the incident made her emotional, especially after doctors warned her that she might not be as mobile as before.

"Since the accident, whenever I see bicycles I get scared because I am afraid the same thing would happen again," she said in Mandarin.

She added that she and her husband now try to avoid crowded places for fear of aggravating her injury.

The grandmother of four has been unable to practice taiji, one of her favourite pastimes, and Mr Ng has had to take over the household chores.

"I wouldn't have been so upset if the man had stopped to help or at least apologised. Up till now, I haven't heard a word from him, nor has he offered any compensation," she said.

While the Pioneer Generation Package has meant that Madam Chng's medical care is free, she has spent a few hundred dollars on traditional Chinese medicine, which she says helps to reduce the swelling in her arm.

When told that Lim's original sentence of eight weeks' jail had been reduced to three weeks on appeal, Madam Chng seemed unsure of how to respond.

Mr Ng said: "We don't have much education so we are not too sure how the law works. But if the court has decided that this is what he will get, then it is probably for the best."

Dos and don'ts for cyclists

Don't

Do not speed or ride in an inconsiderate manner

Do not overtake others in a dangerous manner

Do not cycle on footways, expressways or overhead bridges

Do not cycle at high pedestrian areas such as traffic crossings, bus stops and covered linkways. Dismount and push your bike instead

Do

Install a front light and a rear light or reflector for cycling at night

A properly secured seat is required for pillion riders aged below 12

Obey traffic light signals

Cycle with the flow of traffic when on the roads

Slow down and give way to pedestrians when approaching intersections with pedestrian access

Slow down when approaching bends with limited sight distance

Slow down and be prepared to stop when approaching high pedestrian areas. Dismount and push if necessary

Stay on cycling path when available

Tips from the Land Transport Authority's guide to intra-town cycling


This article was first published on September 19, 2015.
Get The New Paper for more stories.

This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.