On the 25th of June, Andrew Foo and Jodi Lai were walking along a shared path next to East Coast Lagoon Food Village, accompanied by their two children—a four-year-old son and a two-year-old daughter—when they were struck by a cyclist.
Foo and his son were fortunate enough to dodge the impending collision with the cyclist; however, Lai and their two-year-old daughter were not so lucky.
In a Facebook post dated 27th June on the SG PCN Cyclist Facebook Page, Foo shared a concise account of the incident, along with an appeal for witnesses.
This post included several photographs showing the exact location of the unfortunate event.
ROADS.sg also reached out to Andrew’s wife, Jodi Lai, to learn more about the distressing incident.
Where and how it happened
The incident occurred on a Sunday afternoon, around 3pm on the 25th of June, right next to East Coast Lagoon, in the direction of Singapore Wake Park and along the shared path.
Source: SG PCN Cyclist Facebook Page
Source: SG PCN Cyclist Facebook Page
Based on the details provided to us, they were “taking a stroll at East Coast Park on the extreme left of the shared path,” when a “male cyclist on a road bike suddenly crashed into them” at a relatively high speed.
This collision sent Lai’s glasses flying as she was knocked off her feet, landing on her buttocks.
She sustained a fractured tailbone as a result.
The impact was so significant that it threw her backward, causing her to land on her back and hit her head on the ground.
In the aftermath of the incident, Lai recounted their confusion and shock. During our call with her, she explained, “My daughter was crying so loudly, and I was very confused about what happened at that moment.”
Photographs documenting the abrasions on their daughter were also posted on the SG PCN Cyclist Facebook page.
Source: SG PCN Cyclist Facebook Page
“George” corrected Foo when he typed in the wrong number; but numbers turned out to be invalid
As the accident occurred, the cyclist, who appeared to be in his twenties, “apologised profusely and said that the injuries wouldn’t be too serious.”
However, their immediate concern was to secure aid for Lai and their daughter. They decided to obtain the responsible cyclist’s contact information before rushing them to a nearby hospital—Parkway East Hospital.
The cyclist who collided with them identified himself as “George” and British before handing Foo his contact details.
He was described as a Caucasian, “likely in his 20s, with blond hair and a height of about 1.75 to 1.8m.”
When Foo requested his number, “George” supplied two—a UK number and a local Singapore line number.
What added a touch of authenticity was when Foo miskeyed the UK number, “George” immediately corrected him.
After taking Lai and their two-year-old daughter to the hospital, Foo tried to reach “George” using the two numbers provided.
However, “the local number was never turned on, while the UK number was invalid.”
The police have since confirmed with the family that both numbers are indeed random and invalid.
Police report was made; Police looking for witness as they are working closely with N-Parks
A police report was filed in late June, but the culprit has not yet been apprehended.
However, the police have since issued an appeal for any information that the public might have about the individual in question.
Though the man’s true identity has not been revealed, the police have released a screengrab from a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording to provide a visual depiction of the culprit.
This footage is believed to have been obtained from N-Parks.
Source: SPF Website
Lai fractured her tail bone, their daughter traumatised from the experience
When ROADS.sg spoke with Lai last week, we were relieved to learn that both she and her two-year-old daughter are recovering well.
However, the daughter’s wounds are still visible, and she has been traumatised by the experience.
When Lai attempted to show her the pictures taken from the incident, her daughter became “progressively scared.”
As for Lai herself, she is still in the process of recovery, which is expected to take another three to six months.
Lai added that despite her eventual recovery, her tailbone has been “permanently bent” as a result of the impact from the fall.
“If you are the culprit, man up and take responsibility for your actions”
In the Facebook post shared by Foo, he appealed to anyone who might know the culprit’s identity to come forward and contact him.
They also assured during our call that the identity of any informant would be kept confidential.
In the latter part of the post, Foo implored the culprit to “man up and take responsibility for your actions,” particularly after causing harm to a woman and a two-year-old child.
When we asked Lai what she hopes for as she and her daughter go through their recovery, she expressed her wish for her daughter to overcome the psychological impact of the incident as soon as possible.
She also hopes that the culprit will take responsibility for his actions without delay.
Those with information can also contact the police at 1800-255-0000 or submit information via i-Witness.
All information received will be kept strictly confidential.
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