Motorcyclist's close call with runaway truck caught on video
A video of a heart-stopping near miss in Hougang has sparked concerns about road safety after a cement truck's alleged brake failure sent it reversing into oncoming traffic.
Captured on dashcam footage and shared widely online, the incident shows the terrifying moment the truck began rolling backwards, narrowly missing a motorcyclist and a car stopped at a red light.
The incident occurred on Hougang Avenue 5 on the evening of Nov 29. The dashcam video clearly shows the cement mixer truck suddenly reversing while at a red light.
A motorcyclist caught between the truck and the car recording the footage can be seen reacting quickly, abandoning his motorcycle and scrambling to safety.
According to the caption accompanying the video on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook group, the truck reversed due to an alleged brake failure.
However, this explanation has been challenged by some commenters. One Facebook user wrote: "Confirm fella sleeping one, cannot be brake failure. If brake failure for sure he will accelerate to counter the free rolling or at most engage hand brake."
The sudden reversal caused audible screams of horror from the driver and passengers in the camcar as the large vehicle loomed towards them.
This reaction also drew the ire of another commenter, who wrote: "Stupid people, shout and horn for what, quickly jump out of the car la."
While the motorcyclist managed to escape the truck's path, the fate of his motorcycle remains uncertain in the video.
The incident has also prompted discussion on safe driving practices around large vehicles.
"No. 1 rule… Always stay away from huge truck!!! NO MATTER WHAT!" read one comment. "Either keep a safe distance like 10m away or don’t go beside them."
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