Victim of e-bike accident a loyal friend with penchant for bicycles

SINGAPORE — A “rebellious” youth and loyal friend who liked to tinker with bicycles and loved lion dance, a passion he pursued as an active member of a troupe.

This was the Ang Yee Fong friends and family knew and loved, whose life was cut short on Thursday night in a deadly accident involving a trailer on West Coast Highway. The accident also ended the life of his friend Ong Zi Quan, 18, and injured 17-year-old Marcus Loke. All three had been riding their  power-assisted bicycles, also known as e-bikes.

Ong was cremated at Mandai Crematorium on Friday afternoon (Oct 28), less than 24 hours after the accident, while Ang’s loved ones gathered at a funeral parlour in Sin Ming in the evening for his wake. 

Ang’s distraught mother, on seeing his body for the first time at the wake, cried in Mandarin: “Yee Fong … I have no more son … Now that you are gone, who will protect me? You must let me dream of you. Please let me see you again.” His girlfriend huddled over a friend’s shoulder and cried.

Friends and family members at the wake said the trio, who knew each other through their lion dance troupe, enjoyed going on night rides on their e-bikes.

Ang’s uncle, Mr Wilson Chan, 46, described the 25-year-old as a “rebellious child”. “From when he was 10 years old, he would always look for me whenever he got into trouble. He had come to me countless times, and I managed to help him solve them one by one. Now he finally found something that I can’t solve.”

Claus Lee, 19, said Ang, also known as “boi boi” — because he was like “a small boy” — got his e-bike a few months ago, and they had gone cycling together twice. “Boi boi usually rides safely,” added Mr Lee, who has known Ang for four years. 

His mother, he added, has posted on Facebook to raise funds for Ang’s family. “He is very loyal to friends. Very nice guy. He is not rich, but when you need help, he will still find a way to help you, so this is something we can do for him. The last and only thing we can do is to stay here to accompany him till tomorrow,” said Mr Lee.

Mr Goh Poh Leng, 20, also knew Ang through lion dance. “He is just like a senior to me although we are not in the same troupe. He had helped our troupe for a lion dance event. I just saw him last month at Choa Chu Kang and talked to him for awhile ... and yesterday I saw on social media he had passed away.”

Earlier in the afternoon, Ong, who was brought to National University Hospital before he succumbed to his injuries, was cremated, with his family and four of his friends present.  

Ong was fresh out of Institute of Technical Education College West, where he studied Asian Culinary Arts, and was working as a server while waiting to enter National Service. 

When his casket was wheeled in at the crematorium, his two younger brothers sobbed. 

Mr Kelvin Lim, 25, a friend of Ong’s, had read about the accident and lamented over the safety of e-bikers on roads. Then he learnt that one of those killed was Ong. “It is just so sudden and heartbreaking,” he said. 

Ang will be cremated on Saturday. The driver of the trailer, who is 34, has been arrested for causing death by negligent act. The police said investigations are ongoing.