Girl, 7, died after being hit by school bus at Sengkang condo; coroner says wall and bush may have blocked view
A coroner's court found that a seven-year-old girl who died after being struck by a school bus at The Topiary in Sengkang might not have been visible to oncoming traffic due to a 1.8m-tall wall and a 1.4m-high bush. The driver said it was dark and he was looking at the maid crossing the road. The fa
SINGAPORE: A seven-year-old girl who died after being hit by a school bus in a Sengkang condominium might not have been visible to oncoming traffic, a coroner's court said on Wednesday (7 Oct). This was because of a tall wall and a 1.4m-high bush at a passageway leading to the service road where she was hit.
Nivya Rameshwar, a Singaporean in Primary 2, was waiting for her school bus at the service road at The Topiary in Sengkang on the morning of 15 Aug 2024. Her maid had crossed the road to place some bags while waiting for Nivya's bus. She was going to return for her when Nivya was struck by another school bus that was there to pick up another child.
State Coroner Adam Nakhoda found that Nivya died from injuries sustained in a road traffic-related accident. There was no foul play. He stressed that the coroner's court does not establish liability and it was not for the court to determine if the driver, Mr Phua Hak Heong, had maintained a proper lookout, been distracted or driven rashly. Mr Phua has not been charged thus far over the incident.
The driver of the minivan testified that it was dark shortly after 6am that day. He said he was looking at the maid as she crossed the road and did not notice Nivya. He told the court he was driving at "10 plus" kmh, but below 20kmh, along the service road. The investigation officer said the road was within a private estate, so there was no official speed limit. However, the court heard that a condominium bylaw set the speed limit within its premises at 15kmh. Mr Phua was not late for his pick-up and said he was not using his phone. A check of his device showed no calls or messages around the time of the incident. No breathalyser test was done on him because there were no signs that he had taken alcohol prior to driving, the investigation officer said.
Mr Nakhoda noted that the wall near the accident location was more than 1.8m tall, while the bush was 1.4m high. This would mean that it was possible that a person waiting to cross the service road might not be seen by oncoming traffic, he said. He said that if the wall and bush had been lower in height, the view of pedestrians and of vehicles would be enhanced.
The coroner conveyed his condolences to Nivya's family, describing her death as "an absolutely terrible loss". Speaking to the media after the hearing, Nivya's mother, Ms Neela Kanagasundaram, said Wednesday was "just the beginning". "It's painful, it's something that could've been prevented," said the nurse. Ms Lolita Andrew of Adel Law, who represents Nivya's family along with Mr James Gomez Jovian Messiah from Edmond Pereira Law, told CNA that the family intends to mount civil actions against both the driver and the condominium.
