'Your grandfather's road ah?': E-bike rider punches pedestrian on Woodlands footpath

"This is your grandfather's road ah?" was the last thing a 55-year-old technician heard before a fist connected with his chin.

His attacker had been a power-assisted bicycle (PAB) rider.

While walking home on Feb 1, the man and his wife heard a sudden horn from behind. They dodged, only to see a PAB rider blow past them. He stopped just before hitting another pedestrian walking ahead.

Apparently unhappy that they had been in his way (despite the fact that he was riding on a footpath), the rider got off his e-bike and yelled at the couple, reported Shin Min Daily News.

The rider then punched the man, causing him to fall to the ground. He straddled him and continued to punch him.

Although the victim's wife tried to pull the attacker away, he surged forward and kicked at his ribcage and the lower half of his body.

Fortunately, two female passers-by helped to hold the attacker off as the victim's wife called the police.

Even though the e-bike rider had his son with him, he soon fled the scene without the young boy. Having witnessed the entire ordeal, the child pleaded with the victim to forgive his father.

"My wife was only able to hold the boy back, who kept begging us to spare his father. At that point, my face was completely covered in blood. Seeing my situation, my wife could only let (the rider) escape," the victim told Wanbao.

"When he returned for his son, however, he tried to trip my wife."

The victim not only suffered multiple ribcage fractures but also damaged optic nerves that left him with only 30 per cent vision in his right eye.

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Due to the severity of his injuries, the victim had to be warded for two days and was given seven days of leave. He added that he had spent over $1,000 on medical fees but still considers himself lucky that he didn't suffer from bleeding in the brain.

The police told AsiaOne they were alerted on Feb 1 to a case of voluntarily causing hurt along the service road of Blk 709 Woodlands Drive.

They also confirmed that "a 55-year-old man was conveyed conscious to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital."

While footpath accidents involving personal mobility devices have fallen by 52 per cent since e-scooters were banned last November, new measures will be introduced under the Active Mobility Amendment Bill this year.

Under the proposed changes, errant riders will face harsher penalties, such as a fine of up to $2,000 or six months in jail, or even both for flouting the law.

rainercheung@asiaone.com