'A whole other accident could have happened', says driver of passenger who jumped out of moving car after quarrel with wife at Cluny Rd

In what seemed like a move right out of an action movie, a passenger of a private-hire vehicle (PHV) in Singapore allegedly jumped out of the moving car around the vicinity of Tanglin early on Saturday (July 23).

In a Facebook post by user Botak Sidhu, he stated that a male passenger had suddenly exited the car after a quarrel with his wife, who was also in the vehicle.

Sidhu's exasperation was palpable, in his comments posted to the Professional PHV Drivers Facebook group: "Passenger jumped out of my moving car after fighting with his wife . What a spoiled day !!! Grrrrrr."

Photos shared by Sidhu showed a couple standing apart and giving their statements to police officers at the scene.

Speaking to AsiaOne, Sidhu, who gave his name as Vin, shared that he had picked up the couple as well as a child from River Valley road, and he was driving along Cluny Road when the incident occurred.

He shared that the couple were "having their own conversation in Chinese" when "suddenly the husband just jumped out of the car and I immediately had to stop and come out to see if he was ok".

The 42-year-old driver shared that the man was still trying to run away from the scene even though he was injured, while his wife chased after him. "They were shouting at each other," said Vin, who called the police.

"It's really selfish of him to jump out of the moving car in that manner," added Vin, indicating that the situation could have easily taken a deadly turn if there was any oncoming traffic or if the man had landed on his head.

"With the shock, I could have lost control of the vehicle and a whole other accident could have happened."

In his replies to comments on the post, Vin also shared that he was "shocked" when he realised that someone had "opened the door and jumped out".

Following the incident, the man was "bleeding from the elbow and knees", Vin told AsiaOne.

While it is not clear what the couple were arguing over, needless to say, jumping out of a moving vehicle is dangerous and ill-advised. One might also find themselves in trouble with the law.

In a reply to AsiaOne's query about the case, a spokesperson for the Singapore Police Force stated that the police had received a call for assistance along Cluny Road at about 8.55am on Saturday.

"A 28-year-old man was conveyed while conscious to the hospital. Subsequently, the man was apprehended under Section 7(1) of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008, and was referred to the Institute of Mental Health for psychiatric assessment."

Under Section 7 of the Act, the police have the power to arrest anyone believed to be dangerous to himself or other persons.

Replies to the post on the Facebook group commiserated with Vin for the loss in income and berated the driver for his irresponsible act.

Over on SG Road Vigilante's Facebook page where the post was shared, many questioned what could have driven the man to such an extreme act, with one commenting that the passenger must have "watched too many Bollywood movies".

Another noted, "That's why men live shorter lives", while others saw it as a reason for not getting married. 

candicecai@asiaone.com