'I could only think of helping him': Injured man on rider who died in Gambas crash

Despite unbearable pain and the sweltering heat of the road beneath him, the only thing the part-time nurse could think of was the other motorcyclist lying some 50 metres in front of him.

But Mr Muhammad Alif Rykell Shah, 20, who had also been flung off his motorcycle following an accident on Sunday (April 10) along Gambas Avenue said he could not get up.

The other motorcyclist, Mr Jason Tan, 24, a food delivery rider, died from his injuries. A van driver, a 36-year-old man, has been arrested for careless driving causing death.

Speaking to The Straits Times on the phone from the intensive care unit in Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) on Thursday (April 14), Mr Alif said: "The only thought I had was to check on him and see if he's okay.

"My only dream in life has been to help people; that's why I chose nursing. The only right thing I could do then was to check on him but I was in too much pain."

He added: "The pain in my hips was excruciating and the road was very hot. The people who stopped to help me were telling me not to get up but I could only think of helping him."

Since the accident on Sunday, Mr Alif has been in and out of surgery at KTPH after suffering from injuries including a crushed pelvis, cracked ribs, a broken wrist, and internal bleeding.

On Sunday, he was on his way to meet his friends at Sembawang Park for his belated birthday celebrations before breaking fast together when the accident happened along Gambas Avenue towards Yishun Avenue 7 at about 1pm.

He was conscious when he was taken to the hospital.

Mr Alif, who is waiting to enlist, had been saving up to pay his own way through a nursing diploma after National Service.

He works at KTPH and helps support his family of seven.

His mother, Madam Siti Sarah A Rahim, 42, told ST at KTPH that she and her husband Mr Dudy Widjaya, 47, had been doing laundry at a mart near their home when they got a call from the police about their son.

The couple rushed to KTPH and passed the accident site. They stopped the van they were travelling in when they saw a blue tent had been put up.

"We were so relieved when they said he was in the hospital, but when we reached the hospital the doctor said there was a 50-50 chance. That broke my heart," said Madam Siti Sarah, who is a healthcare worker in a nursing home.

She and her husband, a delivery driver, have five children aged between 17 and 24, and said the close-knit family cried when they heard the news.

Despite not being able to feed himself and go to the toilet on his own, Madam Siti Sarah said that her son has been insisting on not disturbing the nurses unless the pain becomes unbearable.

"He's been asking me every day 'Will I be a burden?' that's all he's worried about," she said.

She added that she is prepared to leave her job to care for her son should he need full-time help.

"He has never caused us any problems and helps out so much, so now why not I do it for him", said Madam Siti Sarah, who added that the doctors told her they estimate he will be in hospital for three to six months and need rehabilitation and therapy after that.

Like Mr Tan, crowdfunding has also been started for Mr Alif to help his family foot his medical bills and rehabilitation. (https://give.asia/campaign/help-alif-family-raise-funds-for-his-medical…)

It aims to raise $100,000, and as at 7.30pm on Thursday had garnered about $13,700 from 313 people.

Mr Tan's fund-raising campaign, which was started by charity platform Ray of Hope on Tuesday (April 12), exceeded its target of $200,000 on Thursday morning, with more than $201,500 collected from about 3,500 donors.

Donations for Mr Tan's crowdfund can be made here.