SINGAPORE, Dec 13 — The boyfriend of a 21-year-old woman, who was killed in a motorcycle crash in Johor on Wednesday, arrived at her wake in Singapore yesterday, wearing a blue hospital gown and sitting in a wheelchair.
Shin Min Daily News reported that he quietly apologised to Alssa Lyn Tay’s grieving family, saying nothing more than, “I’m sorry.”
Tay’s stepfather, only named as Xu, who was visibly moved by the gesture, sighed and replied, “But what’s done is done, and nothing can change it.”
Tay died on December 10 after a crash on the North-South Expressway near Kulai, Johor, just hours after a surprise reunion with her parents in Genting Highlands.
The accident occurred around 9.15am when Tay was riding pillion on her boyfriend's Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10 motorcycle.
He lost control and collided with road barriers, resulting in her death at the scene.
Tay’s boyfriend sustained a broken leg and was hospitalised in Kulai before being transferred to a Singapore hospital for further treatment.
The crash involved three cars, a mini bus, a motorcycle, and a lorry.
Tay had planned the trip to Genting to surprise her mother, who was on vacation with her stepfather.
“She called on December 9 after getting her new passport and said she wanted to give her mother a surprise,” Xu was quoted as saying by the Chinese language daily.
“I advised her not to ride a motorcycle there, but she insisted on seeing her mother.”
After spending a few hours with her parents, the couple left at 5am for Singapore, as her boyfriend had a meeting scheduled.
Despite her parents’ suggestion to stay and return by car, Tay chose to leave with him.
Tay’s funeral will take place at Mandai Crematorium tomorrow.
