Doc took early ride home
In Perak for friend's nuptials, he skipped wedding dinner to catch coach so he could be in time for work at hospital here
By Kimberly Spykerman & Carolyn Quek
About 300 family and church members as well as friends gathered last night at a private memorial service for Dr David Ho, who was killed in a coach accident on the North-South Expressway in Malaysia over the weekend. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
HOURS after their wedding dinner on Saturday, Dr Vincent Nga and his bride made their first trip together as newlyweds - to a mortuary in Muar, Johor.
They were in search of a close friend, who had been in a coach accident after leaving their wedding party in Perak on Saturday night.
TALENTED DOCTOR
'He had big, steady hands and was very hardworking. He was also very cool, very calm, and was a good team player.' - Dr Joshua Wong, 26, saying Dr Ho would have made a fine surgeon. He sat next to Dr Ho in the overnight coach to Perak on Friday night
Dr David Ho, 26, was heading back to Singapore to be in time for his morning ward rounds at Changi General Hospital, where he was a medical officer in the surgery department.
The Grassland Express and Tours coach, which left Dr Nga's home town of Sitiawan at about 7pm on Saturday with 28 passengers, never made it to Singapore.
It crashed into a tree and overturned near Tangkak, Johor, two hours from Singapore. Ten people died, including the young doctor.
Dr Ho, who was from Hong Kong, was a graduate of the National University of Singapore.
He came here on a scholarship when he was 14 and studied at the then Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, now Hwa Chong Institution.
Dr Nga, also 26, told The Straits Times that his good friend and medical schoolmate had travelled to Perak with more than 90 guests from Singapore to attend the church service on Saturday morning.
But Dr Ho gave the wedding dinner a miss in order to catch the bus back.
Dr Nga said he received a call from Grassland's agent in Sitiawan on Sunday morning saying the bus had been in an accident.
'We tried to contact David on his cellphone but we couldn't get through,' he said.
He also called the Muar hospital where the injured and dead had been taken to, but could not find out what condition his friend was in.
Together with his wife, Maureen, 25, and a friend, Dr Joshua Wong, he drove four hours to Muar to check for himself.
Meeting them at the hospital was Dr Ho's girlfriend, Luolin. They headed straight for the mortuary. 'We wanted to exclude the worst-case scenario,' Dr Nga explained.
But their worst fears were confirmed when they found Dr Ho among the dead.
Dr Ho's 25-year-old girlfriend of almost eight years collapsed. They had been planning to get married, friends said.
'She is obviously very heartbroken,' Dr Nga said.
Dr Ho's parents and younger sister arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and made their way to Muar the next day.
His younger brother arrived in Singapore yesterday.
Dr Ho's body is in a funeral parlour at the Garden of Remembrance, a columbarium near the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery. He will be cremated today and his ashes taken back to Hong Kong.
A friend of almost 10 years, Mr Raymond Kwan, 29, a computer engineer, described Dr Ho as a filial son who returned to Hong Kong once a year to see his parents.
He had already bought a plane ticket for his trip back for Chinese New Year.
Mr Kwan said Dr Ho had chosen to become a doctor because he was passionate about serving others.
Last night, 300 family members, church members and friends gathered at a private memorial service at the funeral parlour.
Among them was Dr Joshua Wong, 26, who had been seated next to Dr Ho in the overnight coach to Perak on Friday night.
He remembered telling Dr Ho to buckle up on the trip to Perak, as the driver was going at speeds of at least 120kmh.
'I will never take a night coach again,' Dr Wong said.
He added that his friend would have made a fine surgeon.
'He had big, steady hands and was very hardworking. He was also very cool, very calm, and was a good team player.'
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Latest comments
My utmost condolences to his loved ones.
Rest in peace, thou good and faithful servant!
Posted by: unewolke at Wed Dec 10 12:22:50 SGT 2008
Warning: Any user who posts offensive or irrelevant comments will be banned from this Discussion Board.
In Perak for friend's nuptials, he skipped wedding dinner to catch coach so he could be in time for work at hospital here
By Kimberly Spykerman & Carolyn Quek
About 300 family and church members as well as friends gathered last night at a private memorial service for Dr David Ho, who was killed in a coach accident on the North-South Expressway in Malaysia over the weekend. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
HOURS after their wedding dinner on Saturday, Dr Vincent Nga and his bride made their first trip together as newlyweds - to a mortuary in Muar, Johor.
They were in search of a close friend, who had been in a coach accident after leaving their wedding party in Perak on Saturday night.
TALENTED DOCTOR
'He had big, steady hands and was very hardworking. He was also very cool, very calm, and was a good team player.' - Dr Joshua Wong, 26, saying Dr Ho would have made a fine surgeon. He sat next to Dr Ho in the overnight coach to Perak on Friday night
Dr David Ho, 26, was heading back to Singapore to be in time for his morning ward rounds at Changi General Hospital, where he was a medical officer in the surgery department.
The Grassland Express and Tours coach, which left Dr Nga's home town of Sitiawan at about 7pm on Saturday with 28 passengers, never made it to Singapore.
It crashed into a tree and overturned near Tangkak, Johor, two hours from Singapore. Ten people died, including the young doctor.
Dr Ho, who was from Hong Kong, was a graduate of the National University of Singapore.
He came here on a scholarship when he was 14 and studied at the then Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, now Hwa Chong Institution.
Dr Nga, also 26, told The Straits Times that his good friend and medical schoolmate had travelled to Perak with more than 90 guests from Singapore to attend the church service on Saturday morning.
But Dr Ho gave the wedding dinner a miss in order to catch the bus back.
Dr Nga said he received a call from Grassland's agent in Sitiawan on Sunday morning saying the bus had been in an accident.
'We tried to contact David on his cellphone but we couldn't get through,' he said.
He also called the Muar hospital where the injured and dead had been taken to, but could not find out what condition his friend was in.
Together with his wife, Maureen, 25, and a friend, Dr Joshua Wong, he drove four hours to Muar to check for himself.
Meeting them at the hospital was Dr Ho's girlfriend, Luolin. They headed straight for the mortuary. 'We wanted to exclude the worst-case scenario,' Dr Nga explained.
But their worst fears were confirmed when they found Dr Ho among the dead.
Dr Ho's 25-year-old girlfriend of almost eight years collapsed. They had been planning to get married, friends said.
'She is obviously very heartbroken,' Dr Nga said.
Dr Ho's parents and younger sister arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and made their way to Muar the next day.
His younger brother arrived in Singapore yesterday.
Dr Ho's body is in a funeral parlour at the Garden of Remembrance, a columbarium near the Choa Chu Kang Cemetery. He will be cremated today and his ashes taken back to Hong Kong.
A friend of almost 10 years, Mr Raymond Kwan, 29, a computer engineer, described Dr Ho as a filial son who returned to Hong Kong once a year to see his parents.
He had already bought a plane ticket for his trip back for Chinese New Year.
Mr Kwan said Dr Ho had chosen to become a doctor because he was passionate about serving others.
Last night, 300 family members, church members and friends gathered at a private memorial service at the funeral parlour.
Among them was Dr Joshua Wong, 26, who had been seated next to Dr Ho in the overnight coach to Perak on Friday night.
He remembered telling Dr Ho to buckle up on the trip to Perak, as the driver was going at speeds of at least 120kmh.
'I will never take a night coach again,' Dr Wong said.
He added that his friend would have made a fine surgeon.
'He had big, steady hands and was very hardworking. He was also very cool, very calm, and was a good team player.'
[email protected]
[email protected]
Latest comments
My utmost condolences to his loved ones.
Rest in peace, thou good and faithful servant!
Posted by: unewolke at Wed Dec 10 12:22:50 SGT 2008
Warning: Any user who posts offensive or irrelevant comments will be banned from this Discussion Board.
