A New Year's Day police pursuit in Choa Chu Kang ended in dramatic fashion after a van driver attempted to evade traffic police, weaving through neighbourhood streets before crashing and fleeing on foot.
Videos circulating online showed the white van speeding through residential roads with two traffic police officers on motorcycles in pursuit. During the chase, the driver was seen making multiple illegal U-turns and carrying out dangerous manoeuvres that put other road users at risk.
In one clip, the van reversed from a zebra crossing before cutting into the middle lane of a road behind vehicles waiting at a traffic light. It then turned back onto the crossing and came to a stop at the edge of a junction, briefly facing oncoming traffic.
Another video filmed along Teck Whye Avenue showed the van trapped between a police car ahead and two police motorcycles behind, before the driver suddenly executed a U-turn into the opposite lane and continued fleeing.
The pursuit came to an abrupt end at the T-junction of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7 and Keat Hong Link.
The van was seen speeding through the junction, momentarily lifting off the ground before crashing up a flight of stairs leading to the Keat Hong Axis Housing Board project. The driver then abandoned the vehicle and ran uphill, with officers close behind.
The photos later showed the man sitting on a walkway with his hands cuffed behind his back. An ambulance was also spotted at the scene.
A witness, identified as Sam, told Chinese-language media outlet 8world, that he followed the chase from the Safra Choa Chu Kang area and observed the driver beating red lights and making repeated illegal U-turns.
In response to queries from AsiaOne, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that it was informed about a road traffic accident at the junction of Keat Hong Link and Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7 at about 5.50 pm on Thursday, January 1.
Two people were conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital for treatment.
The police investigations are still ongoing, and further details are expected to be released.
