‘I wish I can hear her sing again,' says boyfriend of Yishun fatal crash victim

Straits Times

14 hours ago

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Miss Queenie Leong was on her way home from a birthday party in Bedok when the private hire car she was in crashed into a public bus.
SINGAPORE – One of the last memories Mr Pombuena Kevin Paul Famacion has of his girlfriend is when she sang a love song to him, just a few days before she died in a car accident.
Miss Queenie Leong was on her way home from a birthday party in Bedok when the private hire car she was in with a friend
crashed into a public bus at the junction of Yishun Avenue 2 and Yishun Central 1 at about 5.35am on Aug 2.
A photo of the scene showed a silver car at the rear of a Tower Transit bus, its windows shattered and right-side doors left ajar, as Singapore Civil Defence Force officers attended to the emergency.
Her friend had tried to save Miss Leong, 23, immediately after the accident. Despite fracturing her own arm in the accident, she performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the ambulance arrived at the scene.
Both women and the driver were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where Miss Leong eventually succumbed to her injuries.
The Straits Times visited the wake set up at the void deck of Block 162 Yishun Street 11, where Miss Leong lived.
Her father, was too distraught to speak, but said he wanted to understand how the accident happened.
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Miss Leong's friend had told the family that the driver was allegedly driving erratically before the incident, and may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
Several of Miss Leong's friends were at the wake on Aug 4 to pay their respects, including Mr Pombuena.
He said Miss Leong left the party early as she had to pack for her trip to Johor Bahru with her family. They were going there to celebrate her sister's birthday.
She booked a ride from East Villa at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir at about 5am. Her friend, Meiyi, shared the ride with her as she lives nearby.
Mr Sir Ludvig Kong, who was at the wake, said he was awakened by a pre-dawn call from Meiyi, who sounded frantic.
Said Mr Kong, 22: 'I heard a lot of horns (in the background). Meiyi was screaming for help, and she said Queenie was not responding.'
He called Mr Pombuena, who rushed to the hospital with Miss Leong's family. He said Miss Leong's heart stopped beating when they got there, and she had to be resuscitated.
Mr Sir Ludvig Kong Yeow Onn (left) and Mr Pombuena Kevin Paul Famacion at the wake of Ms Queenie Leong at Yishun Street 11 on Aug 4.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Mr Pombuena, 23, said the scans showed that there was no blood flow to her brain because of the swelling in her head.
At about 11am, the doctor told Miss Leong's family that she only had an hour to live.
Mr Pombuena said: 'I couldn't accept it, (and I knew) she was going to fight.
'But after two hours, I realised that her vitals were going down, so I called all her close friends, and we all stayed with her until her final moments.'
He said Miss Leong passed away at about 3pm on Aug 2.
Mr Pombuena told ST that he and Miss Leong were rekindling their relationship when the accident happened.
Miss Leong had visited him at his home a few days before the accident.
'We were just hanging out, and she was singing love songs to me. She told me: 'This performance is to show you how much I love you.''
'I just wish I could hear her sing one more time,' said a teary-eyed Mr Pombuena. 'She had a great voice.'
Miss Queenie Leong was on her way home from a birthday party in Bedok when the private hire car she was in crashed into a public bus.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Mr Sir Ludvig Kong, who was with Miss Leong at the hospital in her final moments, had attended the same birthday party.
'It is very sudden, because I was with her less than an hour (before the accident). It felt like a dream when I saw her fighting for her life in the hospital,' said Mr Kong, who was Miss Leong's CCA mate.
'She didn't look like herself, half her face was covered in gauze, and her hair had been shaved off. There were also a lot of cuts and bruises on her body.'
The group of friends and family held her hands and talked to her in the last hour.
'When they turned off the life support machine, and the numbers dropped to zero, everyone started crying,' said Mr Kong, who broke down during the interview.
'We realised that we would never be able to talk to her again, get to see her smile or hear her laughter ever again.'
Mr Pombuena said Miss Leong was a loving and caring person, who got along with everyone she met.
'She had a whole life ahead of her — a scholarship, and so much more.'
He added that she had planned to travel overseas with her friends over the next two months.
Said Mr Kong: 'I will always remember her as someone who will always answer my calls whenever I need someone to talk to, her presence was always a comfort to all her friends.'
The 47-year-old driver remains in hospital. ST has contacted the private hire company.
A Tower Transit spokesman said the bus had been stationary and waiting at the traffic lights when the accident happened. There were no passengers on board at the time.
Police investigations are ongoing.