'I am angry that this happened but I will not allow myself to hate': Man whose wife and 11-year-old son were involved in Tampines crash

It has been a "roller-coaster" of emotions for Jim Chua in the week following the fatal accident which occurred at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Avenue 4 on April 22.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Chua described how his wife, Nicole Lee, and son were both involved in the accident which claimed two lives.

Lee, 42, and their son, 11, are among the six people injured in the multi-vehicle collision, which occurred after the driver of a black car ran a red light, ploughing into vehicles at the intersection.

The accident killed a 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student and a 57-year-old woman. The 42-year-old driver, Muhammad Syafie Ismail, has since been charged in court with four offences.

"For those who are not familiar with the accident, we are very lucky that both of them are alive," Chua said.

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"It was a week of roller-coaster emotions and we experienced fear, sadness, anger and most of all gratefulness."

Chua said his wife and son had come out of the accident "relatively unscathed",  but added that they'd suffered trauma and "mental scars" which "will take more time to heal".

He added: "The overwhelming sadness over the loss of innocent lives may take longer to get over."

In his post, Chua highlighted several points that he wished to make following the tragic incident, one of which is the importance of wearing a seatbelt. "Seatbelts save lives...I will never drive with a passenger not wearing a seatbelt on again."

He also noted that while they are angry over the incident, "it is important not to judge without the full picture".

"I refuse to allow myself to be pulled down to the level of blind hatred. I am angry that this happened but I will not allow myself to hate," Chua stated.

He also wrote that the incident has made them realise that "life is really fragile and precious".

"Whatever inconveniences we face day to day, it's not that big a deal."

In a Facebook post a day before on Sunday, Lee had also shared that they are still "processing all that has happened", expressing gratitude for the outpouring of concern, care and support they've received.

"Last Monday started like any other day, but little did I know how life changing it would be," she wrote.

On Monday, Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC Desmond Choo also posted on his social media about visiting Nicole and her son at their home.

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Choo shared in the post that mother and son are still "dealing with the post-trauma effects".

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Choo said that the couple's son has since returned to school, where he would be rendered support.

He has also arranged for grassroot leaders to keep in contact with the family and assist them in communicating with the traffic police as well as with insurance claims.

AsiaOne has reached out to Chua for comment.

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candicecai@asiaone.com