31-year-old motorcyclist killed, 6 injured in accident along CTE near Orchard Road

Prisca Ang and Osmond Chia
The Straits Times
July 23, 2021

A 31-year-old motorcyclist died after an accident on Friday night (July 23) on the Central Expressway (CTE) behind Cuppage Plaza near Orchard Road. Six others were also injured.

Footage and photos circulating online showed a motorcyclist lying unconscious on the expressway, with vehicle debris strewn close by.

Metres away, a lorry lay on its side, while a car was ablaze with billowing grey smoke.

Another video showed at least a dozen Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighters putting out the blaze, with at least two fire trucks and a police car at the scene.

With the fire extinguished, the burnt shell of the car on the expressway shoulder could be seen facing against traffic, with its bonnet crumpled from the impact.

The police said in a statement that a car, taxi, lorry and two motorcycles were involved in the accident along the CTE towards the Seletar Expressway (SLE) after the Cavenagh Road exit.

It was alerted to the accident at 9.18pm on Friday.

Two male motorcyclists, the female car driver, the male lorry driver and his three passengers were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, according to the authorities.

One of the motorcyclists, who was 31 years old, later died from his injuries in the hospital. 

Police investigations are under way. 

The CTE tunnel before the Cairnhill Circle entrance was closed due to the accident, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) tweeted at 9.25pm.

LTA said that the congestion stretched till the Merchant Road exit, and asked motorists to avoid lanes two and three on the expressway.

The SCDF said that when firefighters arrived at the scene, all the lanes were heavily congested.

“A car was completely engulfed in flames, and a lorry and two motorcycles were found turned on their sides. No one was trapped,” it said in a Facebook post around 12.30am on Saturday. 

SCDF Emergency Medical Services personnel performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on one person who had no pulse and was not breathing.

CPR was also administered on the person on the way to the hospital. Firefighters put out the fire with fire extinguishers, two compressed air foam backpacks and two water jets.