SINGAPORE - An e-scooter rider who allegedly knocked down a woman in Bedok Reservoir, seriously injuring her, was arrested on Wednesday (March 14), two days after the police issued an appeal for information.

The police said in a statement on Thursday that the 23-year-old man was arrested for a rash act causing grievous hurt in the incident Bedok Reservoir Road last week.

On March 7, the police received a report that a woman was knocked down by a man riding an e-scooter at about 6pm at Block 151, Bedok Reservoir Road. The rider left the scene after calling for an ambulance.

The woman, 45, identified by Chinese language evening newspaper Lianhe Wanbao as Ms Goh Lay Yong, was taken to Changi General Hospital with head injuries. Ms Goh fell into a coma after the incident, but has since woken up, Wanbao reported on Thursday.

According to preliminary investigations, the man crashed into Ms Goh just after she had stepped off an overhead bridge as he was unable to stop his e-scooter in time.

She lost consciousness immediately after she was hit.

After putting up the appeal along with a photo of a man in a blue top on Monday, officers from the Bedok Police Division found out the man’s identity through ground inquiries and the aid of police camera footage.

The man was arrested in Bedok North Street 3 on Wednesday.

If convicted, he faces a jail term of up to four years, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

On Thursday, Ms Goh’s aunt, who gave her name only as Mrs Ong, told The Straits Times that her niece went through an operation on Sunday to remove a part of her skull so as to relieve swelling in her brain. Ms Goh opened her eyes on Thursday afternoon for the first time since the operation and can also move her right limbs, she said.

While her niece’s condition has improved, doctors are uncertain whether there will be any long-term impact on her, said Mrs Ong.

Describing her niece as cheerful and beautiful, she said “it is very painful to see her in this state”.

“We hope she will keep making improvements each day. We are keeping our fingers crossed and praying for her,” she said.