On 10 Jan 08, a middle aged woman sat at the Benjamin Sheares Bridge that span across Marina South. It looked like she was about to jump and say good bye to the world. The saga brought traffic to a crawling pace. Fortunately, she did not jump. Probably, the police managed to convince her that there was much more life than burying herself in meseries. Below was an extract from asiaone.com.
A bespectacled woman possibly in her 40s or 50s was spotted sitting on the ledge of the Benjamin Sheares bridge this evening. A motorist who declined to be named said he saw police cars, traffic police, and fire engines at the scene. A check with the police revealed that they had been called in at 5.45pm, and the woman’s stand-off with police is currently still underway. Traffic on the flyover leading to the East Coast Parkway in the direction of Changi Airport has slowed to a crawl as drivers and curious onlookers tried to catch a glimpse of the woman.
According to the New Paper, police spokesman ASP Toh said two fire engines, two ambulances, three support vehicles and an amphibious vehicle were dispatched to the scene. An inflatable life pack was also deployed on land beside the bridge.
Divers and boats from the police coast guard were also spotted in the Kallang Basin. The woman was finally coaxed to move back to safety at 7.55pm.
ASP Toh said the woman, who’s in her early 50s, was taken to safety by the police with the assistance of the SCDF Disaster Search and Rescue Team. He said she was then arrested for the offence of attempted suicide. The maximum penalty for attempted suicide is a year’s jail or a fine, or both.
Filed under: Road Encounters
