Car crashes into Geylang shophouse, driver held after parang found
David Ee | The Straits Times | Monday, May 6, 2013
The 28-year-old Singaporean driver escaped with only minor injuries to his left arm, but is facing further questioning after police uncovered a parang under the car's back seat.
SINGAPORE - The impact was so great that it broke two pillars in front of a row of shophouses.
The police said they received a call for assistance around 3am on Saturday.
The driver of the car, a 28-year-old designer known only as Mr Yang, suffered superficial injuries to his left hand, Shin Min Daily News reported.
His black Subaru, surrounded by rubble, was totalled.
He told reporters that he bought the second-hand car early this year for about $20,000.
"I never imagined this would happen," he said .
The owner of the damaged pub told Chinese-language evening daily Lianhe Wanbao that the shutters of the place had gone down at 2.45am - about 15 minutes before the crash.
"Fortunately the accident happened after we closed for the day, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable," said the owner, who declined to be named.
Police asked about 30 residents living on the second storey of the affected shophouse to vacate the building for safety reasons.
A hawker who had been near the accident scene told Shin Min Daily News that he had heard the sharp screeching of brakes before the crash.
It was reported that Mr Yang had tried to retrieve his personal belongings from the vehicle.
The police searched the car and found a long knife in it.
Mr Yang claimed the knife did not belong to him, and he did not know why it was found in the car, reported Shin Min.
Police said on Saturday night that Mr Yang was assisting them in investigations
