Tragedy as 3 members of Singapore family killed in fatal car crash

What was meant to be an enjoyable holiday turned tragic for a Singapore family, when 3 members got killed in a fatal car crash.

Died on holiday

The accident happened on Dec 22.

According to The Straits Times, the family was holidaying in the United States and were on their way to the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

The crash happened near the Grand Canyon Village at about 2.20 pm US time on the northbound road of Arizona State Route 64.

The family's silver Hyundai apparently crossed the painted median and collided head-on with a green Dodge van. The car then crashed into another vehicle, while the van plunged into a ravine.

Trooper Kameron Lee, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), told The Straits Times, "The driver of the Hyundai and two passengers were pronounced deceased at the scene."

"One additional passenger of the Hyundai was transported to Flagstaff Medical Center." 

According to Today, the crash killed the parents and one of their children. The only survivor is 19-year-old Justlyn Yeo Jing Hui, a first year student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

She is currently in stable condition.

Her relatives have flown over to the US, and the Singapore Consulate-General in San Francisco is assisting them.

Following the accident, the highway was closed for 7 hours for investigation purposes.

We extend our sincere condolences to this family and hope that Justlyn recovers soon.

Road safety tips

Parents, do drive safe this holiday season. Here are some road safety tips:

• Always buckle up : Not just the driver, but every passenger in the car should be wearing their seat belts. Young children in particular, should be buckled into appropriate safety seats.
• Never drink and drive : You could endanger a lot of lives in a single moment of inattentiveness. If you do plan to drink, please make sure you don’t drive. There are drive-home valet services you can hire or opt for a cab instead.
• Keep to the speed limit : Driving too fast or too slow can be a potential hazard. Remember to keep a safe following distance, this will give you enough time to react in case of an emergency.
• Keep that cell phone away : Fight the urge to check your messages even if the traffic light is red. There is nothing more distracting than the smart phone and most accidents occur due to driver distraction.
• Watch out for jaywalkers and cyclists : Especially at night, when the visibility is low. Expect many pedestrians to be drunk walking and not adhering to traffic signal rules. And do watch out for that cycle that comes hurtling in from nowhere.
• Make way for ambulances: In an emergency every second counts. When you hear the siren, do make way and change lanes safely to the left.
• Pull Up if You Feel Tired: Please don’t try to drive when your eyes are shutting; you could kill yourself or others if you fall asleep.

Take turns to drive if there is another licensed person in the vehicle. Stop regularly to take breaks. This applies even more so to those who will be driving across the Causeway in the holidays.

• Checklist – fuel, lights, brakes, tyres, wipers : Lastly, before setting out on your journey make sure that each of these items on the checklist gets a check.

Also READ: Family of 6 killed in bus-car collision in Malaysia

(Source: The Straits Times, Today)