Recently, a 7-year-old boy got hurt after getting hit by e-scooter in Singapore.
Worse still, the rider shouted at him saying, “Why you block my way?”
Child hit by e-scooter in Singapore
The incident was reported in Lianhe Wanbao, and apparently took place on Nov 14, 2017 near Block 549 Woodlands Drive 44.
The e-scooter rider, Du Aiwen, was ferrying his wife. The boy was returning home after school with his father Mr Wu Zhiqiang, and his friend Mr Ma Guofeng.
They saw the e-scooter approaching them and kept to the left side of the pedestrian pathway. However, Du sped up as he approached them.
Unfortunately, the boy suddenly stepped towards the right and crashed head-on with the e-scooter. Du, his wife and the boy were all thrown to the ground.
The little boy was shocked and started crying on the spot. It was then that a furious Du scolded him by saying, “Why you block my way?”
Daddy Wu confronted Du, but the latter threatened to hit him. Wu informed the police, “I saw that he could not be reasoned with, so I called the police immediately.”
Du tried to flee but Mr. Ma restrained him until police arrived.
The boy was taken to hospital for treatment. He apparently suffered bruises on the right side of his face and injuries on his left hand. He also vomited thrice, possibly due to the trauma after collision.
According to Mr Wu, his son had been sent flying for about 2m after the collision, and the back of his head had hit the ground.
On April 3, 2018, Du was fined $1,500 for causing hurt through negligence. His e-scooter was confiscated and destroyed.
E-scooter accidents getting common in Singapore
According to The Straits Times, 110 accidents involving e-scooters were reported in the first 9 months of 2017. 30 of them took place on public paths, while the rest took place at road junctions and on roads.
In an effort to rein in reckless drivers, the Government has decided to implement new rules for e-scooter riders.
- Registration of e-scooters will be mandatory from the second half of 2018.
- All e-scooter riders will have to provide their personal details.
- They will have to paste identification stickers prominently on their devices.
- Devices should meet requirements, such as a maximum weight of 20 kg and a top speed of no more than 25 kmh.
Also READ: Singapore mum hit by e-scooter in critical condition
(Source: Lianhe Wanbao, Stomp)