SHE was in the passenger's seat as the sporty silver Mazda MX-5 was being taken for test ride.
Then, in the wink of an eye, tyres screeched, the test car crashed into another car and then flipped over.
The brand new Mazda was a total wreck, and the young woman in a blue and black Mazda showroom uniform lay unconscious in the mangled heap.
The driver, a man in his early 20s, walked out of the car by himself. He is now helping police with investigations.
The young woman, whom police later confirmed was a car saleswoman, died at 7pm after being taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
It is believed she suffered a broken neck from the impact.
Her identity was not disclosed.
The accident shocked a couple who were on their way to a relative's house in their mini van.
While driving along Upper Paya Lebar Road around 6pm, Mr Chng Hak Piong and his wife saw the powerful sports car going over the road divider and smashing head-on into a black BMW.
It then flipped over before hitting the side of Mr Chng's van.
STARTED TREMBLING
Mrs Chng, 52, said: 'We heard a very loud bang, and saw smoke coming out of the BMW, which was just in front of us on our right.
'Then we saw the Mazda flip over the BMW. I was so scared, I started trembling.'
All Mr Chng, 54, could do was to step on the accelerator and pray that the Mazda would not land on his vehicle. (See graphics above.)
But he could not avoid the sports car as it slammed into the right side of his van, causing his window to smash.
Once they got over their shock, the Chngs scrambled out of their vehicle.
In the black BMW, a family of five sat in shock.
A woman, believed to be the driver's wife, screamed in pain as the Chngs tried to help her out. She said her leg was injured.
An elderly man was bleeding from the face, while an elderly woman was speechless from shock.
The BMW driver and all four passengers, including a child, were later taken to Changi General Hospital.
When Mrs Chng later heard that the woman had died in the crash, her eyes reddened.
A pair of strapless, high-heeled shoes lay abandoned near the wreck.
Mrs Chng said: ''She was so young, such a small-sized girl.'
When asked if the saleswoman was from its showroom along MacPherson Road, Mazda Motor's marketing manager Philip Lu replied through a security guard at the showroom that he had no comment. |
HIS ego goes into overdrive the moment he gets into the car and starts the engine.
The woman car agent sitting beside him unwittingly adds high-octane fuel to it.
Like a Michael Schumacher wannabe, he:
�h? runs over humps at high speed to test the suspension
�h? slams the brakes hard
�h? accelerates when taking the corner
�h? swerves from one lane to the next.
That scenario is nothing new to car agent Anna Tay.
Ms Tay, 32, said: 'In my four years as a car agent, I have seen young men who test-drive cars in a very carefree or worry-free manner.
TOO FAST
'Sometimes when they approach a bend, they still won't slow down and they take the corner really fast. It's as if they are trying to impress the women car agents.'
Ms Tay is horrified by the accident which killed car agent He Xueli, 22.
The accident happened last Sunday when a sports car, a Mazda Miata, driven by a 24-year-old test-driver, ran over a road divider, crashed into oncoming traffic and flipped. Ms He died of her injuries.
Ms Coco Tan, 32, a former car agent who worked for about five years in the industry, has horror stories of her own.
She said:'These youngsters would try to show off to the woman car agent that he can drive. They go really fast, beyond the speed limit.
'When this happens, I try and tell them to slow down.
'If they keep doing it, I keep reminding them. If it is getting out of hand, I tell them to stop and let me take over the car.'
At most car showrooms all a customer needs in order to test drive is to produce his driving licence.
He is then already good to go.
The only exceptions are dealers who sell high-end sports cars. (See report on facing page.)
Ms Tay said: 'The aim of a test-drive is to gauge the car, like how the buyer can handle it, the legroom, the blind spots and all that.
'So, what is the point of driving it like a sports fanatic if you are only driving it to get from point A to point B?'
And how does she handle these customers?
'I have to be diplomatic and handle them tactfully. Car agents cannot afford to offend customers.'
She added: 'Worse still if the customer complains to the manager.'
But, thankfully, the men stop driving recklessly when they are told not to and let the agents take over the car, said other women car agents.
Ms Gillina Cheong, 31, a Subaru car agent working with Motor Image Enterprises, said: 'The agent can take over the car if the driver is being reckless.
'But at the end of the day, everyone's life is in the hands of the driver, including his own.'
PART OF THE JOB
She said agents face these risks as part of their job.
'It's a risk they must take each time they serve a customer on a test-drive.
'The least the driver can do is to have a sense of responsibility for others in the car and the people around it,' she said.
Mr Gerard Ee, president of the Automobile Association of Singapore, said: 'Essentially, this is like a hostage situation. It can be in many different forms like you in a car being driven by your irresponsible, reckless friend.
'The agent can make all the necessary checks, but if the driver acts irresponsibly, they are at his mercy.'
Test drive a Ferrrari? In your dreams
THE latest Ferrari F4-30 has a 4.3l V8 engine that can reach 100kmh in four seconds.
Want to test drive this luxury sports car which has a top speed of 315kmh?
Fat chance!
Authorised dealer Hong Seh Motors won't let you.
Its spokesman said: 'Buyers come in already knowing a lot about the car and are willing to part with $750,000 or more.
'Besides, the buyer is someone who is eligible for a Ferrari car insurance. This in itself is a strict requirement with stringent checks on the experience and safety record of the driver.'
And if you think you can get to test drive a lesser sports car, forget it.
A spokesman from Cycle And Carriage, authorised dealer for Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 9, said it does not allow test drives.
Its GT model comes with a 1,997cc 16V turbo in-line four engine and can go at a top speed of 240kmh and reach 100kmh in about five seconds. The power is more than double that of an average saloon car.
The rationale behind this no test-drive policy is similar to the Ferraris ban.
'We sell to a niche market of people who know what they expect from a car like this,' said its spokesman.
He claims that this has not hampered sales. This year, 60 cars were sold compared to a 'handful' seven years ago when it was introduced here.
Some dealers do allow cars to be test-driven but you can't walk in, pick up the keys and go for a drive.
Hong Seh Motors allows test-drive of its Maseratis, such as its popular $380,000 Maserati Quatrroporte with a 4.2l V8 engine size. This Italian car has a top speed of 265kmh.
The salesmen talk to the customers to find out how serious and knowledgeable they are about the cars.
He said: 'If he doesn't even know what a pedal shift means or how to work it, it shows he's inexperienced and probably not that serious.
'We will tactfully tell them to get more information or come back when they are sure about getting the car.'
STRICT CHECKS
And even if some allow test-drives, there are stringent measures.
Similar restrictions apply to the Subaru WRX.
Costing about $116,000, the WRX STi has a 2l turbo-charged boxer engine with a top speed of 238kmh. It can reach 100kmh in about 5.5 seconds.
Chief Executive of Motor Image Enterprises Mr Glenn Tan, 27, told The New Paper that his Subaru car agents will want your NCB, or no-claim bonus.
This is an insurance statement that details any accident claims you have made in the last five years.
Mr Tan explained: 'The only way for a buyer to do this is to have owned a car in his name. Then we'll check how clean his records are.
'They need to have at least five years of accident-free driving, which means either you qualify to test-drive or you don't.'
Buyers will then have to sign a form agreeing to bear costs should there be an accident while test-driving.
In the same form, buyers would also have to agree to stick to a specific route and obey the commands of the car agent.
The agents can also take over driving the car if they feel the test-drivers are incompetent, he said.
'These are all necessary measures because the safety of the occupants in this sort of powerful car and the people around it are of the utmost importance.' |
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