Cyclist crashes into car while distracted by Yishun accident scene, allegedly flees

Tempting as it may be to gawk at accident scenes, it goes without saying that motorists — and cyclists — should be keeping their eyes on the road.

Unfortunately for one cyclist, those few seconds spent staring at an accident scene along Yishun Dam on Sunday morning (Dec 27) caused him to get into a crash of his own. He rear-ended a parked car and sent his own bike flying in a viral clip shared on Facebook page SG Road Vigilante.

The cyclist then allegedly fled the scene, according to an update by the page that evening.

In the minute-long clip, the cyclist, who remains unidentified, was seen using his phone as he approached the accident site, where a Shalom Movers lorry had mounted a guardrail and was perched there slanted at an alarming angle.

As he neared the wreckage, he appeared to aim his phone at the scene.

After cycling past the lorry, he stowed his phone away but continued glancing back, failing to notice the parked sedan right in front of him.

The cyclist collided with the sedan, with the impact upending his bicycle and sending him crashing onto the ground.

He then allegedly left the scene, SG Road Vigilante said in a separate post later that evening.

The owner of the sedan, which was left with a broken rear windscreen, has made a police report, the page also claimed, sharing pictures of the damage.

The single yellow line on the road indicates that parking is allowed between 7pm and 7am, as well as on Sundays and public holidays.

As part of the measures proposed by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel, cyclists have been banned from holding or using mobile phones while riding since August this year.

If caught, they can face up to three months in jail or a fine of up to $1,000.

Road had been jammed up due to lorry accident

The accident that had taken place at Yishun Dam earlier that morning at about 7.23am involved two lorries, said the police. 

A 26-year-old male driver was conveyed to Sengkang General Hospital and investigations are ongoing. 

In a Facebook statement, Shalom Movers said that its truck had been stationary when it was struck by the lorry.

"We are relieved to hear that our colleagues were unharmed during the incident. We understand the driver of the other vehicle was conveyed to hospital and we wish him a speedy and full recovery," the moving company wrote.

Footage shared on social media showed the two lorries obstructing traffic across several lanes of the road and causing a jam.

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kimberlylim@asiaone.com