A routine drive along Singapore’s Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) turned into a potentially life-saving intervention after a motorist spotted an elderly man walking dangerously close to fast-moving traffic.
The incident, which was captured on dashcam footage and shared online, has drawn praise from members of the public who said the driver’s decision to stop may have prevented a serious accident.
Elderly man spotted walking against traffic
According to a report by AsiaOne, the driver was travelling along the AYE on Sept. 2 when he noticed the elderly man walking near the road divider beside the first lane.
The man appeared to be using an umbrella as a walking stick and was moving against the flow of traffic. The driver estimated vehicles in the lane were travelling at about 90km/h.
Concerned for the man’s safety, the motorist decided to turn around and check whether he needed help.
When the driver encountered him again, the elderly man had apparently crossed the road divider and was now on the opposite side of the expressway.
The driver slowed down, stopped and offered him a ride.
The elderly man accepted and quickly got into the vehicle.
He appeared lost and wanted to find a bus stop
During the journey, the driver said he asked the elderly man why he had been walking on the expressway.
The man reportedly appeared lost and asked to be taken to the nearest bus stop.
The driver subsequently brought him to a nearby bus stop, where the elderly man got off and later boarded bus service 198, which operates towards Bukit Merah Interchange.
But after dropping him off, the motorist began to worry that the elderly man might have been confused or experiencing cognitive difficulties.
He then contacted the police and told officers what had happened.
The driver also acknowledged that motorists generally should not stop on an expressway, but said he explained the circumstances surrounding his decision to police.
Online reaction: “You might have saved a life”
The dashcam footage, uploaded to Roads.sg’s Instagram page, attracted more than 50,000 views by Thursday afternoon, according to AsiaOne.
While some commenters questioned whether stopping on an expressway could create another road-safety hazard, many praised the driver for intervening rather than simply continuing his journey.
One commenter described the AYE as a particularly dangerous place for a vulnerable pedestrian and said the driver may have saved the man’s life.
Not an isolated concern in Singapore
Singapore authorities have previously highlighted the dangers of elderly people becoming disoriented or lost.
In an earlier case documented by the Singapore Police Force, an off-duty police officer encountered an elderly woman walking precariously along the Kranji Expressway after she had apparently lost her way while trying to find a bus stop. He stopped safely on the road shoulder, assisted her into his vehicle and brought her to a neighbourhood police centre, where officers contacted her family.
The Singapore Police Force has also documented cases involving elderly people who became lost or were found in vulnerable situations, underscoring the importance of quickly getting them away from dangerous roads and connecting them with police or family members.
The bigger road-safety message
The latest incident is a reminder that an apparently vulnerable pedestrian on an expressway can face extreme danger within seconds.
For motorists who encounter someone in distress on an expressway, however, stopping directly in a traffic lane can itself create risks. The safer approach is to alert the authorities and, where possible, move to a safe location such as the road shoulder rather than creating an additional hazard.
In this case, the driver’s instinct to intervene ultimately helped remove the elderly man from immediate danger — while his later decision to contact police was important in ensuring authorities could check on his welfare.
Important: There is no confirmation in the available reporting that the elderly man has dementia or another medical condition. The driver expressed concern that he might have been senile, but that was his concern rather than a confirmed diagnosis.
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