Despite things looking extremely bleak for a traffic accident victim, a first responder continued with resuscitation efforts in hopes of saving his life.
The accident involving a car and a motorcycle occurred along Seletar West Link towards the Central Expressway on Aug 18. The police were alerted at 6.45pm, they told Stomp in response to queries.
Stomper Martin Wong, 53, was driving home with his wife when he came across the accident scene.
He immediately stopped his vehicle and rushed over with a first-aid kit and an automated external defibrillator (AED) to render assistance.
“It looked like a very serious accident, but nobody was doing anything,” he recounted. “There were other motorists who were directing traffic, but they looked quite helpless, likely because they had no training.”
Fortunately, Martin is trained in first aid and is no stranger to responding to emergencies.
He immediately approached the badly injured motorcyclist, who was lying facedown “in a big pool of blood”.
Based on his experience, Martin instantly knew things were not looking good.
“Most of those at the scene did not understand the seriousness of it and thought the victim would be fine once brought to hospital,” he told Stomp. “But my wife and I knew.”
‘I cannot stop CPR because that would mean giving up’
Nevertheless, Martin sprang into action and started performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the motorcyclist.
“Traffic was controlled so I had a safe environment,” said Martin.
“The rest were quite relieved when I took over. I immediately got two other people to flip the victim face up and did a quick assessment, but there was no response or breathing.”
Undeterred, Martin continued compressions for 10 minutes, hoping to start the victim’s heart.
He said: “I cannot stop because that would be a clear sign that I give up. First responders cannot give up.”
The 25-year-old motorcyclist was subsequently taken to hospital while unconscious, where he died.
A 57-year-old female car driver was arrested for careless driving causing death and is assisting with police investigations, which are ongoing.
How ignorant comments can be harmful
Acknowledging the tragedy, Martin said he navigates such situations knowing he has done his best.
This is despite nasty comments directed at him on social media, he added.
“Some netizens asked if the motorcyclist died because of the accident or because of CPR,” said Martin. “I even read comments saying maybe it’s me who caused the death.”
Martin said he understands such sentiments, as they are likely from people who are not trained or have had no experience with such situations. However, he warns about the dangers of such misconceptions.
“Such statements can mislead the public, make people think we should not help or touch accident victims, but these are critical minutes.”
Martin has always advocated for everyone, including the Stomp community, to pick up first aid.
There were three Stomp reports of him responding to life and death situations in April alone. They are:
A head-on crash between two cars in Toa Payoh
A man collapsing and falling unconscious at a Toa Payoh coffee shop
A four-vehicle accident along Kranji Expressway
When presented with a Stomp Goody Bag at that time, Martin shared: “In an emergency, every second matters. Please learn CPR, learn how to use an AED, and never assume someone else will step in.”
He also said: “One day, someone may need you.”
I think hospital allows repayment by installment. I was once ask by the dental clinic whether I want repayment by installment for the dental implant.
For other hospitalisation, if pay by medisave, one do not need to pay much cash.