Motorcyclist, 65, injured after gantry boom arm falls on him at Jurong West carpark

An elderly motorcyclist was injured after a gantry boom arm suddenly landed on him as he was exiting a carpark at Block 659B Jurong West Street 64 at about 7.30am on Tuesday (May 22).

During the process, Chen Xiong Ying, 65, fell to the ground, with his motorbike landing on the lower part of his body.

Mr Chen told Lianhe Wanbao that he was pinned under the vehicle for about 10 minutes before two passers-by lifted the bike and set him free. 

He revealed that he had been leaving for work on his motorcycle at the time of the incident, and was riding behind a car. 

Mr Chen said he waited for the car in front to cross the gantry before moving forward to allow his In-Vehicle Unit (IU) to detect the gantry.

According to Mr Chen, the boom arm lifted, and he started moving out from the carpark. 

However, before he could pass through fully, the boom arm suddenly descended rapidly, landing on him.

He said: "I couldn't react in time at all. It felt like a metal bar had suddenly landed on my head."

Mr Chen recalled hearing a ‘thud’ sound as his helmet shook.

He then lost his balance and pummelled to the ground, landing on his right side.

Mr Chen realised that the motorbike had landed on him, pinning him to the ground. 

Unfortunately, there was no one in the vicinity and he had no choice but to call his wife for help. 

After about 10 minutes, a pedestrian and another motorcyclist came across Mr Chen.

The two managed to lift Mr Chen’s motorcycle, setting him free. They then helped him to the side of the road. 

Mr Chen suffered bruises on various parts of his body, including the back of his right hand, his right leg, ankle, and thigh. 

He was conveyed to a hospital for treatment and discharged on the same day. 

In response to media queries, a spokesman for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they were alerted to the incident at about 7.31am. 

A man was conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for treatment.