Mystery remains after woman and daughter die in Alexandra Canal accident: Witnesses saw vehicle exit mall carpark and crash through barrier

Posted on 26 January 2016 | 273 views | 0 comments

It has been two days since his wife and daughter died after their car mysteriously crashed into Alexandra Canal on Sunday (Jan 24).

But Robin Poon, 50, still has no answers on the circumstances which led to the silver Mercedes that Yep Lay Choo, 51, and, Kimberly Poon, 22, were in to end up in the 2m-deep canal.

My Paper reports that eyewitnesses saw the car exit the basement carpark at the back of Valley Point Shopping Centre and crash through the barrier by the canal, which was 40m straight ahead.

Stomper David sent photos of the incident that happened at about 9pm on Jan 24 via Stomp's WhatsApp, and Stomper Anishar sent in a video of rescue personnel in action, trying to retrieve the bodies from the canal.

Mr Poon, his wife and his daughter went out for lunch at an Italian restaurant at Hotel Vagabond in Syed Alwi Road on Sunday afternoon, then had a foot massage at Tanjong Pagar.

They then went their separate ways for dinner as Mr Poon had a work appointment.

"That was the last I saw them," he said.

Madam Yep and Ms Poon took the Mercede E250, which is registered under the name of Madam Yep's brother, and went for dinner at Valley Point Shopping Centre. After that, they went grocery shopping at a FairPrice supermarket there.

Madam Yep's brother, Yep Tai Sai, 54, said closed-circuit television footage from the mall showed the pair walking happily in the carpark carrying grocery bags.

"They were smiling and walking to the car, nothing was wrong," he noted.

But a few minutes later, the car exited the basement carpark and Madam Yep, who was driving, appeared to lose control of the vehicle.

Mr Poon said his wife had 20 years of driving experience and a good record.

The police said they received a call at 9.02pm requesting for assistance at the canal near 491 River Valley Road.

Both women were manually extricated by rescue divers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force's Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team from the vehicle, which was fully submerged.

Post-accident footage of the car, when it had been removed from the canal, showed that the front was dented and its airbags had deployed.

Both women were pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics. Police are investigating and treating the case as unnatural death.

Speaking at the mortuary while waiting to collect their bodies, Mr Poon, who runs a car repair business, was at a loss about what to do about his "princesses".

He said his wife was a very quiet woman and a "workaholic". Madam Yep was a human resources manager at a family-run maritime logistics company.

Mr Poon described his daughter, who was in a logistics and supply chain management course at the Singapore Institute of Management, as a "very easy-going and bubbly person".

"I'm just lost," he added.

The wake for Madam Yep and Ms Poon will be held at Block 414, Woodlands Street 41 until Thursday.