You may have seen the pictures of a car in flames circulating around the internet.
On Friday (7 January), a driver died trapped in a rented car that caught fire after colliding with a parked car.
Here’s what happened.
Resident First Alerted by Smoke in the Air
The collision happened in the car park of Block 42 Cassia Crescent, next to the Geylang Police Post.
A resident of Block 42, Madam Ter, said she was first alerted to the accident when she noticed white smoke in the air around 3pm when she was at home.
She and her husband saw that a white Mazda 3 had crashed into another parked car when they went downstairs to investigate. The impact had crushed the car’s bonnet, and its cabin was filled with smoke. The car was not on fire then.
The couple knocked on the window as they were not sure if someone was still in the car, and their suspicions were confirmed when they heard movement in response.
Madam Ter asked her husband to call the police while she ran upstairs to ask the neighbours for help.
Car Burst into Flames Before Help Could Arrive
Mr Wilkinson Tan, another resident of the block, said that his neighbours were organising help. He was asked to get a pail of water to extinguish the flames in the cabin.
However, before the neighbours could respond, they heard a loud explosion. The car burst into flames with the driver still trapped in it.
A police officer tried, unsuccessfully, to pull the driver out of the car.
Driver Pronounced Dead at the Scene
The fire continued blazing for around 20 minutes before firefighters arrived. The fire was extinguished at around 3.40pm.
A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) paramedic pronounced the driver dead at the scene.
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The Blazing Car Was Actually Rented
Car rental company @i_rent_you2 on Carousell had rented the car out to a man in his mid-30s.
The company’s operations manager Mr Ong rushed to the site when the police called, saying that his car was involved in the incident.
Police are currently investigating, but do not suspect foul play based on preliminary investigations.
According to the SCDF, to prevent your vehicle from catching fire, do service your vehicle regularly at authorized vehicle workshops.
The vehicle’s electrical, engine and fuel systems should be checked for any defect during each servicing session. And if your vehicle is already regularly serviced, you should conduct visual checks for any signs of oil leakage.
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Featured Image: Instagram (@sgfollowsall)
