Cuifen Pui, 37, thought it was going to be an ordinary Friday morning when she headed out of her estate at Pavilion Park to wait for her Grab ride.
Instead, she was greeted by a loud screech of tires and a bang.
When she turned to look at the source of the hubbub, she realised that a middle-aged lady had been involved in a collision with a car at the road crossing.
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In a Facebook post published this morning, Pui writes that she heard a loud sound, and saw a lady fall onto the ground. The accompanying image shows a white vehicle in close proximity with the fallen woman. Although the accident victim did not look too seriously hurt from where Pui was standing, she did not get up from her fallen position.
By her admission, Pui was initially frozen to the spot and did not know how best to respond or help the victim.
However, others at the scene were less hesitant.
Speaking to The Pride, Pui says: “A group of foreign workers, who were working on pipes near the accident, also saw what happened. After the woman was struck, one of them immediately went up to her. He picked up her shoe and returned it to her. He then started talking to her, presumably to ask if she was alright.
“I remember thinking, ah, maybe I should have done that.”
The workers did not stop at just checking on the woman’s well-being — they also organised themselves to keep her safe and as comfortable as she could be.
Pui recalls: “He gestured to his fellow workers, who promptly put up traffic cones around the lady, who was still sitting on the ground at this point. There was a bit of traffic, and they used their bodies to form a protective circle around her. One also held up an umbrella to shield her from the sun.”
The driver involved in the accident also exited his car to make a call, says Pui. She shares: “One of my neighbours, who went to check on the victim, told me later that the SCDF, police and an ambulance soon appeared.
Many on Facebook agree with Pui, with netizens commending the foreign workers for their empathy and swift response. “They showed compassion and initiative,” writes one. “Kudos to the workers!” says another.
Another netizen chimed in with, “Thank you for sharing this. It really makes me feel hopeful. Sounds like they did everything right! Especially by making sure that the lady could just sit there safely until the ambulance arrived. Even where there are no apparent injuries, if somebody can’t get up immediately, they should not be moved.”
Pui agrees, and feels that she has much to learn from them.
“I hope the lady is not too injured, and that she recovers swiftly. I am very thankful that the workers were there to help her.”