'Greatly traumatised': Woman allegedly attacked by 5 after asking PMA rider to slow down

After telling a personal mobility aid (PMA) rider to slow down, a woman found herself surrounded and allegedly attacked by the rider and four other people.

The woman, who wanted to be known only by her surname Oh, told AsiaOne on Monday (July 29) that she is now traumatised by the incident, which left her with a bruised lip and bleeding wounds.

The altercation occurred at around 4pm last Saturday (July 27) outside a condominium in Sembawang.

Oh, 46, was about to exit the condo to walk her dog when she spotted a PMA rider speeding past her and shouted at him to slow down.

Several other PMAs riders then rode past her and caught up to the first rider, who took off his slipper and walked towards her. A second rider also alighted and stood in front of her, said this accountant.

"They said something like I should be looking out for them, and not them looking out for me," she recounted to AsiaOne.

Subsequently, the first rider allegedly hit Oh's face with his slipper while the second rider pushed her, causing her phone and spectacles to fall. The woman was then pushed to the ground.

Despite attempting to get up and retrieve her phone, she was allegedly pushed back to the ground by a third rider and surrounded by five people.

"Though my external injuries were not serious, I was greatly traumatised by having five big-sized humans towering over me," said the woman.

After the PMA riders left, workers from a nearby construction site checked on Oh and helped retrieve her spectacles, which she told AsiaOne is "totally damaged" and cannot be worn.

She also called the police, who took her statement. Paramedics helped treat the cuts and scrapes on her arms, elbow and knee.

Oh added that she is still experiencing some aches and pains and is worried about her safety as the group of riders supposedly live nearby, explaining that pet owners in her area had previously warned others in their shared group chat to be careful of them.

In response to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they were alerted to a call for assistance at 3 Sembawang Crescent at about 4.10pm that day. A 46-year-old woman sustained minor injuries but refused to be taken to hospital.

Four persons, aged between 36 and 41, are assisting with investigations for voluntarily causing hurt and intentional harassment. Police investigations are ongoing.

Concerns over PMA riders speeding

In a parliament sitting this March,  Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng announced that the speed limit for PMAs will be reduced to 6kmh from the current 10kmh, following recommendations proposed by the Active Mobility Advisory Panel (AMAP) last December.

These changes were put forward amid rising concerns regarding the misuse of PMAs by able-bodied individuals, resulting in complaints from the public about dangerous riding, speeding, and over-sized PMAs.

"There are trade-offs involved and we expect pushback from some PMA users," said Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat then.

"But we must be clear that between ensuring safety for residents and providing convenience for PMA users, safety must come first."

ALSO READ: 'I was in pain': Woman says teens riding PMD hit her with 'iron rod' in Sengkang, laughed at her

lim.kewei@asiaone.com