A 78-year-old woman was left with a fractured spine after the bus door abruptly closed on her while she was preparing to alight.
This event unfolded last Friday (4 August 2023) around 1 pm, near the bus stop at block 231 along Toa Payoh Lorong 8.
78YO Fractured Her Spine When Bus Door Closed On Her As She Was Alighting
The victim’s son, 51-year-old Huang Wenhua (hanyu pinyin), narrated the shocking to Shin Min Daily News. His mother was on her way home from the Toa Payoh interchange after purchasing groceries, riding bus service 238 operated by SBS Transit.
This particular bus service is a local feeder, catering to commuters within Toa Payoh East, Toa Payoh Lorong 6, and Toa Payoh Lorong 8.
According to Mr Huang, his mother had secured a seat in the designated priority section at the front of the bus, meant to prioritize elderly passengers. However, as she was getting ready to disembark at her designated stop and was the sole passenger alighting from the front door, the door began to close unexpectedly.
Caught off guard and unable to evade in time, she was struck on the shoulder and fell to the ground.
The bus driver promptly attended to the woman and subsequently called an ambulance.
Mr Huang relayed, “My mother said that the driver accidentally pressed the button to close the door, and then called us to notify us to go to the hospital to see her.”
He expressed confusion about why the driver would press the wrong button, especially since his mother’s alighting from the front door should have been clearly visible to the driver. It’s literally just beside him.
Upon medical examination, it was discovered that the woman’s back was fractured, leaving her in severe pain and facing a tough road to recovery. The medical professionals attending to her recommended two possible paths to recovery: undergoing surgery to mend the fracture or opting for a three-month natural healing process.
Currently, the elderly woman remains in the hospital under observation. The reality of her condition is painful for her family, both physically and emotionally.
Mr Huang shared, “My mother is still in the hospital for observation, but the fracture is causing her so much pain that she can’t turn over, and she keeps crying out in pain. We can’t bear to see her like this.”
