I express my condolences for the victim of the fatal collision off Boon Lay Way.
It was 7:55pm, I was on the junction going towards Bukit Batok, the light was red. I sat on my bike waiting, as I watched a yellow Super4 moving into the yellow box to make a right turn. He slowed down, then started turning. Next thing I knew, there was a brief horn and 2 bikes just collided head on. For a moment the world seems to slow down. The guy in the oncoming lane was flung from the yellow box to the pedestrian crossing below the speed limit sign. He was in front of me. I got down immediately to help him. I can still remember it vividly, I rush to him and gave him a nudge. No response. I nudge him a few more times and he managed to groan. I turned him over, his bone below the knee was broken and jutting out.
I helped him lie down and tend to him, all the while he is conscious and aware of the surrounding. He asked me hows his leg, I told him it'll be alright. He can still move his feet. There is minimum blood. Although the wound is clean, I can see his feet starting to swell. Internal bleeding. It came across my mind whether should I tie a knot above the thigh to stop the internal bleeding, but I see that he's fine and conscious I dismissed the thought. The ambulance came after about 10 minutes and they gave him first aid for abrasion and fracture immobilizer. His leg was really swollen by the time the ambulance came. The took him away and I gave my statement to the TP and went home to wash up.
A week later, I saw this sign put up by the TP. I never really read it until today I saw its classified as fatal. I wish I could have done more. I am a certified first aider but I din do what I should have. He could have survived if I stop the bleeding. In the army when they teach you these we all take them as a joke, I mean how serious can it be when u see no blood right? But when it comes to the real thing and you see the leg swelling and u know its internal bleeding and again you think it cant be that serious. Now I know its serious, at the expense of a life. I really hope that its the TP mistake that they put up a wrong sign. I called them, they refuse to tell me the condition of the victim, saying its confidential.
I seriously urge all riders, please, be more careful. The incident changed my perspective of how fragile life can be. What if someone is waiting for him to come home? And he never made it. Isnt it better to arrive late than never?
