Taxi driver involved in hit-and-run with jogger identified

[Workaholic]

Taxi driver involved in hit-and-run with jogger identified

A screen grab shows Ms Elise Tay jogging at the junction of Jalan Bukit Merah and Kampong Bahru Road and the taxi turning onto the road and hitting her. The taxi driver did not stop after the accident.PHOTO: VIDEO TAKEN BY DAVID TEO

Published Jul 8, 2015, 5:50 am SGT
Lim Yi Han

The taxi driver involved in a hit-and-run accident along Jalan Bukit Merah on Monday night has been identified.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday (july 8), the victim, Ms Elise Tay, said that Trans-Cab - the company which the driver is working for - has found the driver.

"I was told that he was very apologetic but when the accident happened, he didn't know that he'd hit someone," the 27-year-old wrote. "It was only after he realised that his side mirror was flipped that he thought maybe he had hit something (or) someone and he drove back to see what (or) who he'd hit."

Ms Tay, a marketing assistant manager, had posted on Facebook on Tuesday (July 7) appealing for information on the accident and the driver.

She was jogging at the junction of Jalan Bukit Merah and Kampong Bahru road on Monday, when the green man was flashing in her favour. But a taxi which was was turning right onto the road she was on did not stop, and hit her. It sped off after that, leaving her with a head injury, bruised ribs and lacerations on her arms. She was hospitalised for one day at the Singapore General Hospital.

But Ms Tay told The Straits Times that she has doubts as to whether the driver really did not see her after he knocked into her.

"I rewatched the video so many times and the sound of impact... it's really hard to miss," she said. "I won't be taking any legal action against him, that's for sure. It's not money I want from him, I just need him to be responsible for this."

A Trans-Cab spokesman has confirmed that the driver has been identified, using its GPS tracker. She said earlier that the company "will not hesitate" to terminate his services, but noted on Wednesday that the matter is being investigated by the police.

"We will see the outcome of the investigations from Traffic Police before deciding on what to do next," she said.