71-year-old injured in PHV incident, family slams investigation
A private-hire car driver allegedly accelerated while his 71-year-old passenger was getting out, causing him to fall and suffer a deep gash on his knee.
The man's niece, Ms Foo, her uncle, and her brother had booked a private-hire ride (PHR) from the Bukit Panjang area to JEM on Nov 24.
Ms Foo explained to Mothership that her brother exited the vehicle first and held the door open for their uncle. At that point, the driver allegedly accelerated about a meter while her uncle was still alighting.
Ms Foo’s brother confronted the driver, asking why he accelerated. However, the driver reportedly didn't respond and accelerated a second time with the door still open.
This caused Ms Foo’s uncle to fall and sustain a nasty gash on his knee. Her brother questioned the driver again, but he apparently remained silent.
Ms Foo’s brother then closed the car door and attended to his uncle while the driver drove away.
He subsequently took his uncle to the hospital to have the wound dressed.
According to Ms Foo’s brother, his uncle was very upset because the incident ruined their monthly get-together. He called the driver irresponsible and said he didn't care about his passengers.
Ms Foo added that the open wound requires careful attention because her uncle's diabetes complicates healing. She said her family is worried because her uncle lives with his wife, who is in her 80s.
The Singapore Police Force confirmed that a police report was filed and investigations are ongoing.
According to a Tada spokesperson, the driver expressed his willingness to resolve the matter amicably and that he does not recall anyone being injured.
Tada informed Ms Foo on Nov 26 that they had concluded their investigation and provided her with the driver's phone number.
Ms Foo said she and her family are shocked that Tada seemingly didn't investigate the matter further.
She explained that it felt as though they were simply given the driver's phone number to handle the situation themselves, despite providing Tada with the police report, hospital invoice, and photos of the injuries.
Ms Foo hopes any witnesses to the incident will contact her family.
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