Mercedes crashes through carpark lift at Buona Vista, overturns and traps driver inside

Like a turtle flipped on its side, a black Mercedes overturned after it crashed through a lift entrance, trapping its driver in their seat.

The accident occurred on Friday noon (March 26) at Viva Vista Shopping Mall, along 3 South Buona Vista road.

The mall utilises a mechanised car parking system, which requires drivers to park their vehicle within an elevator meant for cars.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the 51-year-old driver had reportedly stopped the Mercedes in front of the elevator and pressed the lift button. While waiting for the lift to reach ground level, the car suddenly lurched forward, crashing through the lift doors, partially plunging into the elevator tower.

A loud boom was heard, a 50-year-old attendant of a nearby shop said in an interview with the Chinese evening daily.

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The car was found lying on its side when help arrived, and a person was trapped in the vehicle's driver seat, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said in a statement to AsiaOne.

Hydraulic rescue equipment was used to free the driver from the overturned vehicle. The driver was conveyed unconscious to the National University Hospital.

A shopkeeper, who had been using the mechanised car the past three years, alleged that apart from one instance where the computer system had a minor failure, he hadn't noticed any potential safety issues with the mechanised carpark. He therefore suspected the accident might have occurred due to a human error.

Police investigations are ongoing.

rainercheung@asiaone.com