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Mercedes driver denied racing with black Saab prior to fatal Tampines accident

In the aftermath of Monday’s fatal Tampines accident, the Mercedes driver faced accusations of provoking the speeding Black Saab. However, Chinese media reported his denial, citing family presence in the car and refuting any ‘racing’ with the black Saab.

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SINGAPORE: The driver of the Mercedes Benz was accused by the online community of provoking or challenging the speeding black Saab, which resulted the fatal Tampines multi-vehicle accident on Monday (22 April) morning.

Following the accident, a Reddit post claiming to be from the Mercedes driver emerged, clarifying his involvement in the accident.

The ‘driver’ defended his decision to accelerate, stating that it was intended to discourage the Saab driver from overtaking and to persuade them to slow down.

The original Reddit post has since been deleted.

However, according to reports from Chinese media Shin Min Daily News, the Mercedes driver denied writing the Reddit post.

He stated that he neither accelerated nor provoked the Saab driver into a ‘race,’ citing the presence of his family members in the car during the incident.

Singapore mourns the loss of the two victims in Tampines multi-vehicle crash

The accident occurred on Monday at 7:07 am at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4, resulting in eight hospitalized individuals, including two 11-year-olds.

A 17-year-old female car passenger and a 57-year-old female van passenger were conveyed unconscious to the hospital, where they later succumbed to their injuries.

The Singaporean community mourns the loss of two lives: Temasek JC student Afifah Munirah Binte Muhammad Azril and Norzihan Bte Hj Juwahib, an employee of a pest control company.

The 42-year-old male car driver, Muhammad Syafie Ismail involved in the catastrophic crash was charged in court on 25 April, facing several serious offences.

Footage from multiple dashboard cameras revealed the events leading up to and following the accident.

A black Saab was observed attempting to overtake a white Mercedes on Bedok Reservoir Road.

The Mercedes was struck when the Saab attempted the manoeuvre.

Subsequently, the Saab was observed disregarding a red light as it proceeded through the junction.

Meanwhile, the Mercedes successfully came to a halt at the red light.

Footage depicting the collision showed the Saab colliding with several vehicles either travelling straight along Tampines Avenue 1 or making a left turn onto Tampines Avenue 4.

Among these vehicles were one that overturned, another that appeared to have collided with a lamppost, one that struck a divider, and a mini-bus and van facing in the opposite direction.

After the accident, the public criticized the Mercedes and Saab drivers for speeding along a minor road between residential estates.

Online forums accused the Mercedes driver of intentionally accelerating to block the Saab.

In an interview with Shin Min Daily News, the Mercedes driver, identified as Yang, 50, refuted the allegations.

He clarified that he did not accelerate, emphasizing that he had his 79-year-old mother and 13-year-old daughter in the car, making such manoeuvres improbable.

Yang explained, “I was startled when hit, and tried to identify the Saab’s license plate after catching up, but it sped past the junction.”

When questioned by the police, Yang denied any pre-crash altercation with the Saab driver, rejecting allegations of racing.

He clarified, “I didn’t quarrel with him, let alone race him.” Yang also refuted claims of posting on Reddit, citing his limited English proficiency.

The purported Reddit post, supposedly from Yang’s perspective, explaining the incident, has been removed.

However, additional dashcam footage emerged, suggesting that a Mercedes GLC 43, purportedly the same vehicle accused of ‘racing’ with the black Saab, was observed tailgating a bike in a separate incident.

Car workshop employee faces death threats after posting Merc’s dashcam footage

Separately, an employee at a car workshop filed a police report after receiving death threats against himself and his family. This was in response to his posting of dashcam footage from a Mercedes Benz’s perspective.

According to TODAY, Mr Anthony Soon, a senior advisor at Success United, clarified that netizens mistook him for the driver of a white Mercedes-Benz involved in a collision with a black Saab.

Mr Soon emphasized that he was not the Mercedes-Benz driver and posted the footage on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page on behalf of the driver who lacked social media presence.

He stated that he shared the footage not for insurance purposes but to clarify that the white car was not at fault.

Despite his intentions, Mr. Soon faced severe backlash, including threats towards his daughter and online harassment of his family.

Additionally, Mr Soon clarified that the Mercedes driver could not have written the Reddit post due to being in his 50s, Mandarin-speaking, and having limited English proficiency.

He also mentioned that the driver had used his firm’s services four times previously.

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The action of the 42 year old driver is not reckless, it’s brainless. The action of the 50 year old Merc driver is not racing, it’s childish for refusing to let the Saab pass.

The saying that ” Padlocks only keep honest people out”
All the laws and regulations mean nothing if they’re not adhered to.
Now that innocent lives are lost, anyone will say anything to steer clear of the carnage.
The government should implement a psychological assessment of learner drivers to gauge their mental status before giving them the license.

More regulations only affect those who pay heed to them and the system is already highly regulated.

The recklessness displayed, in the absence of any intoxicants, likely shows a simmering contempt for life that shut down rational thinking, even self preservation.

For now, we can only grieve and find some way to assuage those who lost their loved ones.

Just fine all the speedsters involved and give them plenty of demerit points.

If you want to speed, go to Malaysia and enjoy, until you hit a pothole and crash into the jungle, a ditch or the side of hill. Please do not bother law-abiding people.

Last edited 5 months ago by Blankslate

Lucky it turned out it was their own kind ,taking out their own kind. Now once the identity of that driver was revealed….suddenly all went into ‘silence mode’!😆😆😆 See the internet netizens going into a fenzy, the moment they thought the Mercs driver who happened to be a Chinese, though not really the actual driver ,was having a part in the killing of the 2 victims who happened to be of ‘the same kind’? The 2 issues are totally seperate ,as one car driven by that mud was the killer vehicle which ran red light and the other car ,the… Read more »

Can empathize with the merc driver because similar situation happened to me previously. Was driving on the center lane of a 3-lane road when a car sped pass me on the right. But the sotong didn’t realize the right lane filters to a right turning lane just down the way. Some cars were slowing for the turn, so a queue was forming, and the sotong driver was speeding towards the front decelerating vehicle. Instead of easing back and swing behind me as I pass, he accelerated further hoping to squeezing just in front of me. In the 1-2 sec I… Read more »

There is no excuse for what happened. All drivers should practise defensive driving and give enough space between vehicles to be able to stop without hitting the vehicle in front in an emergency. Authorities should put up signs of 20 to 30 miles per hour in all housing estates and minor roads. Warning signs should be put up when approaching schools for all to slow down. The ruling party has to dump it’s increase of the foreign population. It is just too overcrowded.

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