SINGAPORE – A man was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, among other offences, after an accident involving his car and a taxi in front of Bendemeer MRT station on the morning of June 17.
Two people, a 60-year-old male ComfortDelGro taxi driver and his 43-year-old female passenger, were conscious when taken to the Raffles Hospital after the accident in Kallang Bahru, which wrecked a road divider fence.
The accident resulted in the affected road being closed for nearly four hours.
The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they were alerted to the accident in Kallang Bahru towards Lavender Street at about 8am.
The police said the man, 36, had abandoned the car and left the scene before they arrived.
Suspected drugs, drug-related utensils, vaporisers and a knuckleduster were found in the car and seized.
The man was arrested on the same day for various offences, including driving while under the influence of drugs, driving without a licence, dangerous driving, possession of a scheduled weapon, and suspected drug-related offences.
The suspected drug-related and vape-related offences have been referred to the Central Narcotics Bureau and the Health Sciences Authority respectively. Investigations are ongoing.
A spokesperson for transport operator ComfortDelGro said: “We are in contact with our cabby, who is receiving medical attention.” The spokesperson added that the passenger has since been discharged.
Commuters were caught in a long jam on Kallang Bahru in the direction of Kallang Avenue, which was closed from around 8.40am to 12.40pm.
A video of the accident site posted on Facebook shows a red sedan with a crushed bonnet near the road divider on Kallang Bahru. A yellow taxi with a detached bumper and its left front door open is seen a few metres away on the same side of the road.
Debris, including a section of a road divider fence, is strewn across three lanes of the road, with a line of cars at a standstill farther down the route.
A sticker of car-sharing service provider GetGo can be seen on the windshield of the red sedan, reported Chinese-daily newspaper Shin Min Daily News.
“As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment,” said GetGo, in response to media queries on June 17.
“Our priority continues to be offering the necessary support to the parties involved,” it added.
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