18-year-old who died in West Coast Road accident cremated

SINGAPORE – Eighteen-year-old Ong Zi Quan, one of two dead as a result of a late night accident involving a trailer and three power-assisted bicycles at West Coast road on Thursday (Oct 27), was cremated on Friday afternoon at Mandai Crematorium.

His two younger brothers were sobbing as his casket was wheeled in, and four friends witnessed the short proceedings with red eyes.

Mr Kelvin Lim, 25, who describes the deceased as an "old friend", said: "It is just so sudden and heartbreaking; earlier when I read the news of this incident, I told myself if accidents don't happen, those e-bikers will never learn the lesson of being safe on the road, and sadly after that, (I learnt that one of them) happened to be him."

Mr Ong and 25-year-old Ang Yee Fong were the two who died in an accident that took place at the junction of Pandan Crescent and West Coast Highway late on Thursday night.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it received a call at 11.59pm and dispatched two ambulances to the scene. Mr Ong was proclaimed dead at the scene, and the other two were sent to National University Hospital.

Mr Ang succumbed to his injuries, but a 17-year-old man is still hospitalised.

The 34-year-old trailer driver has been arrested for causing death by negligent act, said the police. Investigations are ongoing.

At Sinming Funeral Parlour where Mr Ang's wake was being held, his mother could be heard crying loudly. Speaking in Mandarin between sobs, the distraught mother said: "I only have one son. Give me back my son!"

Workers and residents who live and work in the Pandan Crescent area told TODAY that heavy vehicles such as lorries and trailers ply the West Coast Highway, and they sometimes travel at high speeds.

To enable the heavy vehicles to turn into and out of Pandan Crescent onto the highway, a portion of the road divider near Inchcape Centre was removed in the past month, said employees working there.

A yellow-box junction and two traffic crossings were added. But some motorists may not be familiar with the new traffic light at West Coast Highway, said an engineer working at Pandan Crescent, who only wanted to be known as Mr Suresh.

The 45-year-old said he would wait a few more seconds after the green man signal appears, in case any heavy vehicle took a longer time or distance to come to a stop.

“There’s always some risk crossing the road,” said engineer Arun Subramanian, 33.

Before the traffic crossings were set up, pedestrians crossed West Coast Highway using an overhead bridge nearby.

Residents said cyclists normally use the pavements and cycling paths on both sides of the highway. But they added the road is sometimes used by groups of cyclists heading to and from West Coast Park.