Lorry reverses into grandma

She was heading home after sending her two grandchildren to school when she was hit and killed by a reversing lorry.

The lorry from Coca-Cola Singapore Beverages was reversing at a narrow bend in a carpark near Block 303, Hougang Avenue 5 when the accident occurred.

The woman had been crossing the road and witnesses said the lorry driver was not aware his vehicle had hit her until a passer-by alerted him.

A resident on the 11th storey of Block 303, which overlooks the carpark, said she heard a loud yell. When she looked out of the window, she saw a woman lying on the road under the lorry.

The accident occurred at around noon when many parents were sending their children to school for the afternoon session.

The victim's daughter arrived at the scene about two hours later and broke down. Other relatives who arrived later were also in tears.

A relative told The New Paper that the elderly woman, who had two daughters and a son, would take her two grandchildren to the nearby Holy Innocents' Primary School every day for the afternoon session.

She is understood to be around 70 and was in good health.

Coca-Cola Singapore Beverages sent a representative to the scene around 4pm to meet the distraught relatives. The representative declined to speak with the media.

TNP understands that the driver has been working for the company for about three years.

The company said in a statement that it has contacted the victim's family to express its sympathies. It is also assisting the authorities with their investigations.

Mr Katragadda Jayaprakash, 35, who works at Ramani International, a nearby mini-mart, said the lorry would come once a week to deliver beverages to his mini-mart at the void deck of Block 302.

He added that the lorry was supposed to deliver goods to his store when the accident happened, causing the delivery to be delayed until after 4pm.

CONCERNED

Several residents TNP spoke to said they were concerned by the presence of heavy vehicles in the relatively small carpark.

Ms Mary Toh, who lives on the fifth storey of Block 302, said: "We're used to the vehicles, but in recent years, there seem to be more and I get very worried when my nieces visit and have to cross the carpark."

She added that she has often seen children in the neighbourhood dashing across the carpark while playing, which can be dangerous.

Mr Zulfadly Ahmad, a father of five, said that after lift upgrading works started about six months ago, large vehicles would pass through the carpark regularly, but the carpark would be closed to other vehicles on these occasions.

In his 10 years of living there, he said there had never been a serious accident in the carpark.

"But now that it's happened, I'll definitely be more careful with my children and be sure to hold the smaller ones when crossing the carpark to walk to my mother's home," he said.

The driver has been arrested and the police are investigating.

tnp@sph.com.sg

We're used to the vehicles, but in recent years, there seem to be more and I get very worried when my nieces visit and have to cross the carpark.

- Resident Mary Toh