An accident involving an Uber car in Singapore resulted in one fatality, marking the country’s third fatal accident involving the ride-hailing company.
The crash happened on Xilin Avenue at around 7:30am on Sunday. Heavy rain caused the road to be wet and the car, a Toyota Vios, was reported to have skidded before hitting a tree.
The 22-year-old driver was mostly uninjured, but the 31-year old passenger was pronounced dead on the scene by paramedics. The driver has been arrested by the police for causing death through negligence.
A representative from Uber told the Straits Times: “We are extremely saddened to hear about this tragic accident. Our thoughts are with the deceased’s family at this time.
“We are doing what we can to support them and stand ready to cooperate with the authorities in their investigations.”
The two previous fatal accidents happened last year, with the first happening in September, when an accident along Seletar Expressway killed a teenage passenger and seriously injured a van driver. The Uber driver involved was sentenced to six weeks in jail and was banned for driving for five years.
It was followed by a second accident in November, when a 62-year-old driver fatally hit a woman in Hougang. He was fined SGD7,000 and was also received a five-year driving ban.
Uber, which began operating in Singapore in 2013, said that its drivers are allowed to use only commercially insured cars, in accordance to Land Transport Authority regulations. According to lawyers, the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act is an “overriding law” that will safeguard all victims involved in road accidents using public transportation.
Also, if there is no valid insurance that applies to those involved in the accident, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau will compensate the victim. The bureau is an independent body jointly funded by all motor insurers in the country.
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