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Dec 22, 2004Cyclist gets pinned under wheel of bus37-year-old cycling in a group in critical condition after bus hits and drags him
By Teh Joo Lin
A GROUP of about 40 cyclists looked on in horror as one of their group was pinned under the right front wheel of a bus in Lim Chu Kang Road on Sunday morning.
Mr Sylvester Ang is now in a critical condition at National University Hospital after being rescued by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
The 37-year-old store designer was part of a group of cyclists who ride every Sunday on a trail that stretches from Thomson to Newton.
The group had begun riding as usual at 8.30am and had turned from Neo Tiew Road into Lim Chu Kang Road when the accident occurred.
Mr Richard Tann, 55, a general manager of a moving company, was ahead of the pack, when he saw a blue bus approaching from the opposite direction.
Mr Tann said a lorry was parked in front of the bus, so he signalled to the bus driver to stop and not change lanes until the line of cyclists had passed.
'But he showed me his middle finger and moved out of his lane,' he alleged. Seconds later, Mr Tann heard a 'very loud' bang.
According to eyewitnesses, after the bus left its lane, the cyclists were forced to slow down and shift further to the left.
Another member of the group said: 'Some (cyclists) were squeezed onto the grass patch... we were forced to bunch up together.'
Some cyclists shouted at the driver to slow down, but in vain.
The bus hit Mr Ang and dragged him for about 7m as it swerved back into its lane and stopped.
According to the cyclists, Mr Ang's pelvic and left thigh region was stuck under the wheel of the bus.
Said one of them, who declined to be named: 'His helmet was in pieces and his left leg was totally smashed. One of the riders who attended to him was a plastic surgeon. He told us not to touch his body.'
Right after the accident, the bus driver was seen shaking his head and making calls on his cellphone. None of the passengers, believed to be tourists, got off the bus, said the cyclists.
Together with the police, the SCDF arrived about 15 minutes later and rescued Mr Ang, using airbags to jack up the bus, said an SCDF spokesman.
Mr Ang is now in intensive care. He is believed to have suffered severe head trauma, punctured lungs and multiple fractures to his lower limbs.
The bus driver is now assisting police in investigations.
Meanwhile, Mr Ang's family and friends are keeping vigil at his ward.
Said one of his cycling mates: 'When we train together, he never gives up. Even when he is falling behind, he keeps pedalling, and the next thing you know, he is beside you again. But this must be the hardest race of his life.'
Safety advice
# Wear a helmet and check brakes and tyres.
# Obey all traffic rules.
# Use hand signals when changing lanes.
# Have lights at night.
