==========================================
1)
Road Bullies
I could have been paralysed
Man claims another motorist attacked him after run-in
By Joel Chan
August 10, 2006
PUNCHES and a 'killer' armlock around his neck. He said he choked
and blacked out for a few seconds.
Mr Isaiah, at the hospital for the third time after the incident,
to be checked for spinal injuries. --JOEL CHAN
All because, he said, he honked and beamed his car lights twice at
the car he thought had cut into his lane.
The driver of the other car didn't seem to have taken that gesture
lightly.
The two cars then travelled for a short distance before they both
pulled into a carpark.
Mr Isaiah, who didn't want his full name revealed, claimed he
parked his car, stepped out and was then confronted by the other
driver.
He believed there were three or four other men in the other
car.
The result: The 33-year old self-employed videographer was warded
at the National University Hospital (NUH) for four days.
Mr Isaiah claimed the doctors examined him for spinal injuries
after he had complained of dizziness the afternoon after he left
the hospital. All in all, he had to go to the hospital three times
after the incident.
CAN'T WORK
Now he has to put a neck brace for the next 40 days and is unable
to work.
The attack happened on the midnight of 21 Jul when he was driving
home on his own after his weekly bowling session with his
friends.
While travelling on Hillview Avenue, Mr Isaiah claimed a car
suddenly cut into his lane from the left. He tapped the horn and
beamed his lights twice.
According to Mr Isaiah, at the carpark a well-built, bald man about
1.75m tall came up to him and asked, 'why did you high beam?' in an
intimidating manner.
Mr Isaiah, who is about 1.77m tall and of average build, explained,
'you cut into my lane'.
The man then said, 'I would like to settle this physically.'
Mr Isaiah said before he could react, punches rained on him and the
man had a choke-hold on him.
'It was so fast, I couldn't remember how many blows. I passed out
after his choke hold.
'When I came about, I realised another person was supporting me
from the back.
'I felt my eyes roll from the back of my head. I felt pain on my
lips, head and teeth. My head was throbbing and there was blood on
my lips.
'I found out later that someone from the coffee shop nearby came to
help me and stopped the assault.'
According to Mr Isaiah, the attacker was still standing over him at
that time.
Mr Syed Buhari, 48, who works as an assistant at a nearby coffee
shop, said he was cleaning up when he heard a commotion.
He saw a man pushing and hitting a Chinese man.
'A customer from my coffee shop then ran out to stop the fight,'
said Mr Syed.
Mr Isaiah claimed his attacker continued to taunt him after he
regained consciousness and said, 'Come on, come on, you already
blacked out once.'
Mr Isaiah then ran into a convenience store a few metres
away.
He called the police and also requested for an ambulance while in
the store.
PALE & BLEEDING
Mr Sufian Ismail, 21, an assistant working at the convenience store
who witnessed the incident, said Mr Isaiah looked pale. His lips
were bleeding and had red marks on his neck when he was making the
call, Mr Sufian said.
After the police arrived, Mr Isaiah gave his statement and the
ambulance took him to NUH.
He believed the police were taking statements from his attacker
when he left.
Mr Isaiah's alleged attacker declined to speak to The New Paper
when contacted.
Mr Isaiah was discharged after about three hours of observation at
NUH's A&E department and was given a day's medical leave.
He went home but woke up in the afternoon feeling dizzy and
'everything was spinning'.
He then took a taxi to a clinic and was advised to return to NUH
where he had an X-ray, blood tests and and electrocardiogram.
After he was discharged that night, Mr Isaiah returned to the scene
to speak to witnesses.
The next morning, he received a call from NUH saying that there
could be a problem with his neck.
WARDED AGAIN
He was warded and placed under observation by a spinal specialist
where he underwent three X-rays and a CT scan.
On Sunday morning, Mr Isaiah underwent 'full spinal nursing'.
For about four hours, he said, he had to lie flat on his back
facing the ceiling. He was not allowed to move while a specialist
examined him.
'Many thoughts crossed my mind. What would happen if I was
paralysed?
'I am self-employed and I enjoy sports. There would be major
changes to my lifestyle and how could I cope with a spinal
operation?' said Mr Isaiah, who is single.
Fortunately, there were no injuries to his spine. He is able to
walk.
Mr Isaiah said the doctor called his condition 'subluxed C5-6
vertebrae'. This means that the joints on the back of his neck are
out of place.
If the injury was more severe, he could have been paralysed.
According to orthopaedic specialist Dr Jeffrey Chew of Mount
Elizabeth Medical Centre, a 'subluxed C5-6 vertebrae' occurs due to
severe force or trauma and can lead to paralysis.
NO FULL RECOVERY?
Victims of this injury are unlikely to recover completely because
the joints are no longer in their original position, he
added.
The police are currently investigating.
Road bully cases hit a high of 97 reported cases two years
ago.
For the January to June period this year, the number of road bully
cases remained at 37, the figure for the same period last
year.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lawyers: Victims can take civil action
LAWYERS said victims of road rage can also take civil action.
Lawyer Arul Chelvan said victims can make a magistrate's complaint
or hire a lawyer to do it.
He said: 'The magistrate will decide whether an offence has been
committed. If yes, the magistrate will ask the accused to appear in
court to answer the charges.
'Then, the lawyer will take the role as the prosecutor and police,
and conduct the case. And if the accused is convicted, he can be
jailed or fined depending on the offence.'
Lawyer Gloria James said the magistrate can direct the police to
investigate.
She said: 'By filing a magistrate's complaint, the judge can direct
the police to look into the matter again to give him feedback. So,
it's not a lost cause.'
Mr Aman Aljunied, a senior executive with the Singapore Safety
Driving Centre, said that when faced with an angry driver, one
should just stay calm and not respond.
The former motorcycle racer for 15 years said: 'There are angry
drivers every where. If you respond, you are going down to their
level. And things may get worse.
'Think of your family before you get into trouble. It's not worth
it.'
The police have this advice on how to deal with road bullies.
Note down the vehicle number and file a police report.
Remain calm and do not agitate the road bully with exaggerated
gestures, expressions or behaviour. Do not engage in a face-to-face
confrontation with him.
Call 999, remain in the vehicle and secure the doors until the
police arrive.
- Belle Charlene Kwan
