2021 Tanjong Pagar car crash
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
![]() | |
| Date | 13 February 2021 |
|---|---|
| Time | 5:41 am (SGT) |
| Location | 37 Tanjong Pagar Road, Tanjong Pagar, Singapore |
| Coordinates | 1°16′45″N 103°50′38″E / 1.2791°N 103.8440°E |
| Type | High-speed vehicle collision and fire |
| Cause | Speeding and drink-driving |
| Participants | Jonathan Long Junwei (driver), Elvin Tan Yong Hao, Eugene Yap Zheng Min, Gary Wong Hong Chieh, Wilson Teo Qi Xiang (passengers) and Raybe Oh Siew Huey (observer) |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 1 (critical) |
The 2021 Tanjong Pagar car crash was a fatal single-vehicle traffic incident that occurred on 13 February 2021, along Tanjong Pagar Road in Singapore.[1] A white BMW M4 Coupe,[2] carrying five occupants, crashed into a vacant shophouse at high speed and subsequently caught fire.[3] All five occupants were killed; a sixth individual sustained life-threatening burns while attempting to rescue the occupants from the fire.[4] The incident took place during the Chinese New Year holidays and prompted a national conversation regarding road safety, street racing and drink-driving penalties in Singapore.[5]
At the time of the crash, the victims were current or former financial advisers of Aviva, who had gathered for a celebration on the second day of the Chinese New Year.[6] Prior to the crash, several members of the group took turns driving a newly purchased BMW M4 Coupe around a 1.5-kilometer perimeter in the Tanjong Pagar area to test its performance.[2]
Incident
At approximately 5:40 am, Jonathan Long Junwei, 29, began a final circuit with four passengers: Eugene Yap Zheng Min, 29; Elvin Tan Yong Hao, 28; Wilson Teo Qi Xiang, 26; and Gary Wong Hong Chieh, 29.[6] The car reached speeds between 148 km/h (92 mph) and 182 km/h (113 mph) in a zone with a 50 km/h (31 mph) limit. Long lost control of the vehicle, which skidded and rear-ended a pillar of a shophouse at 37 Tanjong Pagar Road.[4]
The impact caused the fuel tank to rupture, leading to a massive fire approximately 15 seconds later. Raybe Oh Siew Huey, 26, the driver's fiancée, ran towards the burning wreckage and attempted to pull the occupants out, sustaining burns to 80 percent of her body. Emergency services arrived at 5:46 am and extinguished the fire by 6:08 am. All five occupants were pronounced dead at the scene from severe burns and traumatic injuries.[7]
