Man, 73, pulls wife, who uses wheelchair, out of burning car
Couple's vehicle catches fire seconds after being hit by skidding motorcycle that had burst into flames
A motorcycle on the opposite lane lost control and flew over the road divider towards his car at Eng Neo Avenue.
Retired lorry driver Tan Cheng Whatt, 72, hit the brakes and the motorbike, which caught fire, skidded under his car.
Within seconds, the fire spread to his car. But Mr Tan had no time to panic - he had to rescue his wife Khoo Geok Hwa, 68, a wheelchair user, who was in the passenger seat.
In less than a minute, he dashed out of his Toyota Rush, pulled his wife out and dragged her to the pavement with the help of passers-by as the fire raged on, footage online showed.
UNHURT
The couple, who escaped unhurt, experienced this harrowing encounter on Saturday evening while they were on their way to pick their daughter up from work at nearby Turf City.
Madam Khoo told The Straits Times yesterday that she was in shock when the accident happened.
"I was very scared, and my hands and feet had gone soft. This kind of thing has never happened before. But I am so thankful to everyone who helped me," she said.
The police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they were alerted to an accident involving a motorcycle and a car at Eng Neo Avenue, towards Dunearn Road, at about 6.20pm.
The SCDF put out the fire with a water jet and a compressed air foam backpack.
The motorcyclist, 23, had minor injuries. He was conscious when taken to National University Hospital.
Facebook user Derrick Tan later identified himself as the owner of the car and said his parents were in it.
According to a police report made by Mr Tan, the motorcycle was travelling in the opposite lane when it skidded and hit the road divider, throwing both the motorbike and its rider onto the same lane as the car.
Mr Derrick Tan, 38, who was on holiday in Thailand when he heard about the accident, said his parents are still shaken.
"My mum cried. She saw the car catch fire and is very thankful that my dad was fast enough because if not, she would have been burned," he said.
In a separate incident, a six-year-old boy was taken conscious to KK Women's and Children's Hospital after he was involved in a collision with a personal mobility device (PMD) near Marina Bay Sands in the early hours of yesterday.
A 17-year-old PMD rider was arrested for causing hurt by a rash act.
The incident occurred at around 12.45am near the ArtScience Museum and The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
