'No more suffering for her': Woman who had brain injuries in 2016 PMD accident dies 10 years later

SINGAPORE - A woman who was hit by an e-scooter 10 years ago, which left her unable to speak, read or write, and needing help with eating, died on Oct 14.

Ang Liu Kiow, 64, a mother of three, died of coronary artery disease, a condition where vessels supplying the heart with blood become narrow or blocked.

Speaking to The Straits Times at their home on Oct 20, her elder son Wilson Leong, 32, said her death was very sudden.

On Sept 17, 2016, the housewife was hit by an e-scooter ridden by a 17-year-old boy in front of a bus stop at Pasir Ris Drive 1, leaving her in a coma for a month with severe brain injuries.

She had alighted from a bus and was walking to her bicycle to head home when the e-scooter knocked her down.

On July 17, 2018, it was reported that the teen had been riding the 14kg e-scooter at 15kmh when he collided into Ang.

He was given a two-week short detention order after pleading guilty to causing grievous hurt. This meant he would not have a criminal record after being released. He was also ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.

After the accident, doctors warned Ang's family that she would not recover fully.

On his mother's sudden death, Wilson, who works in digital marketing, said: "She had a persistent fever four days prior, and she was sleeping a lot in her last days."

He said that in the first five years after the accident, she underwent physiotherapy to strengthen the right side of her body, which was much weaker. She subsequently stopped because of age-related muscle loss.

He said: "But my mother was very resilient and tried not to let anything get her down."

She would try to walk or go to the toilet on her own. But sometimes, she would slip and fall, and get injured.

There were also times when Ang would throw tantrums or yell out of frustration when her family could not understand her.

Ang's husband of 37 years, Leong Loon Wah, said in Mandarin: "Seeing her like this was very heartbreaking. But I had to realise that this was now a different person with a different set of needs."

He assumed the role of the primary caregiver, looking after her with their helper.

Leong recounted his favourite memories with his wife before the incident, when they would go grocery shopping, visit temples and cook.

Tearing up, he said: "As a caregiver, I had to be strong, especially mentally, the past 10 years. I could not afford to give up. I tried my best. My only priority was to take care of her better."

The couple have another son, 26, and a daughter, 36.

On Oct 14, Ang's husband, who works as a driver and technician, among other odd jobs, found her frothing at the mouth as he was leaving for work.

Her son said: "He always checks on her before leaving home at about 6.30am. But this time, her face was pale, and her breathing was very weak."

Ambulance paramedics and medical personnel were unable to resuscitate her, and she died at Sengkang General Hospital.

Despite being awarded damages of $445,000 against the e-scooter rider, the Leongs said they did not receive a cent as the teenager did not have any assets and had not been insured.

In 2020, a mother-daughter duo started a fund-raising campaign for Ang, collecting about $164,000 in total, which her son said was a big blessing.

Family physician Lisa Chen, 54, said her daughter, Sophia Chiam, 18, who was 13 in 2020, was touched by the Leongs' plight and started the campaign.

Chen said they were sad to hear of Ang's death.

She said: "What started as a simple idea grew into something much bigger than we ever imagined, thanks to so many wonderful people who came together to help.

"We are grateful to everyone who made it possible, and hope the support brought Madam Ang and her family some comfort during those difficult years."

Ang's case highlighted the dangers personal mobility devices (PMDs) pose to the public, and it was discussed in Parliament.

On Jan 10, 2017, MPs Sitoh Yih Pin and Melvin Yong supported the then Active Mobility Bill to establish rules for public paths used by pedestrians, cyclists and PMD users.

The Bill also set safe speed limits, defined path types, and regulated e-scooters and power-assisted bicycles.

Both MPs mentioned Ang's case as a reason for stricter enforcement against errant PMD riders.

The Bill was passed and came into effect on May 1, 2018.

Other laws have since been passed to improve safety on public paths.

On Feb 4, 2026, a Bill requiring mobility scooter users to obtain from June 1 a Certificate of Medical Need, with exemptions for certain groups, including seniors aged 70 and above, was passed.

And from Jan 1, 2029, all mobility scooters and motorised wheelchairs used on public paths must comply with a lower speed limit.

Police statistics showed that accidents involving power-assisted bicycles, motorised PMDs and personal mobility aids that caused injuries rose from 179 in 2021 to 252 in 2025.

Fatal accidents involving such devices dipped from five in 2021 to four in 2025.

Wilson said he hopes riders will be more careful.

He said: "We can't change anything; it's already been done. But we're glad this incident improved PMD laws and regulations over the years.

"We are glad she passed peacefully, and there is no more suffering for her."

This article was first published in The Straits Times . Permission required for reproduction.

新加坡——10 年前被电动滑板车撞倒的一名女子于 10 月 14 日去世，她因此丧失了说话、阅读和写作能力，并且需要他人帮助才能进食。

64岁的Ang Liu Kiow是三个孩子的母亲，她死于冠状动脉疾病，这是一种为心脏供血的血管变窄或阻塞的疾病。

10 月 20 日，她的大儿子梁伟信（32 岁）在家中接受《海峡时报》采访时表示，她的去世非常突然。

2016 年 9 月 17 日，一名家庭主妇在巴西立 1 道的一个公交车站前被一名 17 岁男孩骑的电动滑板车撞倒，导致她昏迷一个月，​​并遭受严重的脑损伤。

她从公交车上下来，正走向自行车准备回家，结果被电动滑板车撞倒了。

2018 年 7 月 17 日，有报道称，这名青少年骑着重 14 公斤的电动滑板车，以 15 公里/小时的速度行驶时，撞上了 Ang。

他承认犯有造成严重伤害罪，被判处两周短期拘留。这意味着他获释后不会留下犯罪记录。他还被责令完成100小时的社区服务。

事故发生后，医生警告Ang的家人，她无法完全康复。

威尔逊从事数字营销工作，谈到母亲的突然去世时说：“她四天前就开始持续发烧，在生命的最后几天里，她一直在睡觉。”

他说，事故发生后的头五年，她接受了物理治疗，以增强身体右侧较弱的肌肉力量。后来，由于年龄增长导致的肌肉萎缩，她停止了治疗。

他说：“但我母亲非常坚强，她努力不让任何事情打倒她。”

她会尝试自己走路或去洗手间。但有时，她会滑倒摔伤。

有时，当家人无法理解她时，安也会因为沮丧而发脾气或大喊大叫。

Ang的丈夫梁伦华（Leong Loon Wah）与她结婚37年，他用普通话说：“看到她这样，我非常心痛。但我必须明白，她现在已经是一个不一样的人了，她的需求也不同了。”

他承担起了主要照顾者的角色，和他们的帮手一起照顾她。

梁先生回忆起事发前与妻子一起度过的美好时光，比如一起去超市买菜、参拜寺庙和做饭。

他哽咽着说：“作为一名照护者，过去十年我必须坚强，尤其是在精神上。我不能放弃。我尽了全力。我唯一的目标就是更好地照顾她。”

这对夫妇还有另一个儿子，26岁，一个女儿，36岁。

10 月 14 日，Ang 的丈夫（他除了做司机和技工等零工外，还兼职其他工作）在上班途中发现她口吐白沫。

她的儿子说：“他每天早上6点半左右出门前都会去看望她。但这一次，她的脸色苍白，呼吸非常微弱。”

救护人员和医务人员未能将她救活，她最终在盛港综合医院去世。

尽管梁氏夫妇获得了针对电动滑板车骑手的 44.5 万美元赔偿金，但他们表示自己一分钱也没收到，因为这名青少年没有任何资产，也没有购买保险。

2020 年，一对母女为 Ang 发起了一项筹款活动，总共筹集了约 164,000 美元，Ang 的儿子说这是莫大的恩赐。

54岁的家庭医生陈丽莎（Lisa Chen）说，她的女儿陈思菲（Sophia Chiam）今年18岁（2020年时13岁），被梁家的困境所感动，并发起了这项活动。

陈先生表示，他们对昂先生的去世感到悲痛。

她说：“最初只是一个简单的想法，但后来发展成了比我们想象中要大得多的事情，这要感谢许多好心人齐心协力地帮助我们。”

“我们感谢所有为此付出努力的人，并希望大家的支持能在那些艰难的岁月里给Ang女士和她的家人带来一些慰藉。”

Ang 的案例凸显了个人代步工具 (PMD) 对公众构成的危险，并在国会进行了讨论。

2017 年 1 月 10 日，国会议员司徒义彬和杨明文支持当时的《活跃出行法案》，该法案旨在为行人、骑自行车者和个人代步工具使用者制定公共道路规则。

该法案还设定了安全速度限制，定义了道路类型，并对电动滑板车和电动辅助自行车进行了规范。

两位国会议员都提到Ang的案例，以此作为加强对违规骑乘个人代步工具者的执法力度的理由。

该法案于2018年5月1日获得通过并生效。

此后又通过了其他法律，以改善公共道路的安全状况。

2026 年 2 月 4 日，一项法案获得通过，该法案要求从 6 月 1 日起，电动代步车使用者必须获得医疗需求证明，但某些群体（包括 70 岁及以上的老年人）可获得豁免。

从 2029 年 1 月 1 日起，所有在公共道路上使用的电动代步车和电动轮椅都必须遵守较低的速度限制。

警方统计数据显示，涉及电动辅助自行车、机动个人代步工具和个人移动辅助工具的事故造成的伤害从 2021 年的 179 起增加到 2025 年的 252 起。

涉及此类设备的致命事故从 2021 年的 5 起下降到 2025 年的 4 起。

威尔逊表示，他希望骑手们能更加小心。

他说：“我们无法改变任何事情；事情已经发生了。但我们很高兴这次事件促使个人移动设备的法律法规在过去几年里不断完善。”

“我们很高兴她安详地离开了人世，不再承受痛苦。”

本文最初发表于《海峡时报》。转载需获得许可。