Singapore — Police say that the driving licence of the man who ploughed into six women on the sidewalk outside Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road on December 29 was immediately suspended, Channel NewsAsia (CNA) says.
The police told CNA on Tuesday (Jan 14) that investigations into the horrific accident that killed two women and injured four others are still ongoing. The license of the sixty-four-year-old driver was suspended with “immediate effect” when he was arrested after the accident.
The women who figured in the mishap are all Filipina domestic helpers. The remains of the two women who died, Arlyn Nucos and Abigail Danao Leste, were returned to the Philippines days after their deaths. Two of the women were badly injured, Arceli Nucos, the sister of one of the deceased, and Egnal Layugan Limbauan, but they are now in stable condition and have been placed in regular hospital wards, the chairman of the Centre for Domestic Employees (CDE) said on Sunday (Jan 12).
The two remaining women, Laila Laudencia and Demet Limbauan, were discharged from the hospital shortly after the accident and CDE said they are in recovery and will keep on working for their present employers.
On December 30, TISG reported that two pedestrians were killed and four others injured after a car accident at Lucky Plaza shopping centre.
Graphic videos of the incident made their way online and were circulating on Whatsapp messenger.
In these videos, a black car appears to have crashed through a railing by the road, landing one storey below, on a pathway that leads to the mall car park.
The videos also show two women lying bleeding and unconscious by the car, as well as a third woman trapped underneath the car. At some point, other pedestrians come together to lift the car and drag the woman out. All three women in the video look to be bleeding and unconscious.
All the victims were also taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Section 47C of the Road Traffic Act says that police may immediately suspend the licence of a person investigated in traffic incidents that results in “serious injury or death to another person; or serious damage to any building or structure”.
According to CNA, police said that decisions for suspending licenses in these cases are dependent on the investigations and findings of the Traffic Police.
The victims of the mishap will continue to receive financial aid, said Yeo Guat Kwang, the Chairman of CDE. CDE is intent on accomplishing the needed formalities in order to disburse funds to the families of Arlyn Nucos and Abigail Danao Leste so that their needs may be covered. These funds were raised through charitable endeavours.
After this initial giving, CDE says it will be giving monthly payments to the families of the two women who died in the accident, as well as to the four survivors, for the period of time until the women have regained financial independence or for as long as the money lasts.
CDE added, “It is our hope that we can stretch this supplementary monthly support and additional assistance for the victims and/or dependents for as long as possible. In coming to this decision, we have also considered the Personal Accident Insurance claims that the respective employers have filed for all six workers, which upon payment will most likely be disbursed in a lump sum to the victims and/or their dependents.” -/TISG
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