HEARTBROKEN: Madam Ang Liu Kiow's family members have to decide in two days whether to take her off life support.

In the next two days, her loved ones must make what could be a life-or-death decision - whether to take her off life support.

The last time they saw her conscious was last Saturday when she left their Pasir Ris home with her bicycle to shop for groceries.

It was her Saturday routine, but on this fateful day, Madam Ang Liu Kiow, a 53-year-old housewife, met with an accident involving a 17-year-old on an electric scooter.

She was still awake after the accident but lost consciousness in the ambulance while being taken to Changi General Hospital (CGH), where she underwent two operations on her brain.

Not only has she not woken up, but her condition has since worsened. Her husband and children - two sons and a daughter - are bracing themselves for the worst.

The circumstances surrounding the accident, which happened around 10am on a pavement in Pasir Ris Drive 1, remain unclear.

But Madam Ang's son, Mr Wilson Leong, believes the e-scooter crashed into her. The 22-year-old student told The New Paper on Monday: "My mother rides her bicycle to buy groceries every Saturday, so I think the accident must have happened then."

TNP understands that Madam Ang was not on her bicycle when the accident happened.

Mr Leong said his father received a call from the hospital around noon telling him about Madam Ang.

"We rushed over and were told that there was a blood clot at the back of her brain that required immediate surgery," he said.

"The surgery was supposed to take three hours but because of complications, it took almost six. She used up about two bags of blood."

Just when the family thought the worst was over, they were told on Sunday morning that there were further problems.

"We were told that they needed to do another operation to drain out brain fluid that was building up," he said.

"They put a tube into her brain. She was heavily sedated, and I haven't been able to speak to her."

APPEAL

Mr Leong said that when he posted an appeal on Facebook for witnesses to the accident, a woman told him that she had seen five youths tending to Madam Ang. The e-scooterist was believed to be among them.

He understands the e-scooterist called for an ambulance for his mother, but his family have yet to hear from the teen, who did not give them his contact number.

"My mother never did anything to hurt anyone," said Mr Leong.

The e-scooterist was arrested yesterday. The police have classified the case as a rash act causing grievous hurt and are investigating.

Mr James Bay, 73, a retiree who lives in the area, told TNP that he was cycling when he saw the aftermath of the accident on Saturday morning.

"I saw a woman sitting at the bus stop with five young guys around her," he said.

"There was also a dark-coloured e-scooter on the ground nearby. It was a big scooter."

Mr Bay added that many youngsters ride e-scooters, bikes and skates, some of them at fast speeds, in the area.

"There are a lot of old people here, so it can be quite dangerous."

Lawyers said that it might be difficult to get compensation in accidents involving personal mobility devices (PMDs), such as e-scooters, e-skates and hoverboards.

PMDs are currently not allowed on pavements, roads and park connectors, only on private premises.

This is set to change by year end when new rules kick in.

Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol Zainal Sapari was shocked to learn of the accident.

"We need to look into legislation to make it compulsory for riders of personal mobility devices to have third-party insurance," he said.

"Despite our best efforts at education, there are still users who do not adhere to guidelines that have been prescribed.

REVIEW

"I hope this incident will trigger the relevant authority to review its position with regard to making third-party insurance mandatory."

He will be alerting Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is the MP for that area, and they will be reaching out to the family to provide assistance.

He added that enforcement must also continue to ensure the safety of pedestrians.

But any new measure may come too late for Madam Ang and her family.

Mr Leong said: "I cannot describe the feeling in words. My father has been crying often and hasn't been eating since the accident."

"The doctor told us my mother has had multiple strokes in the brain due to a lack of oxygen. We have to decide whether to take (her) off life support and see if she comes to," he said.

"But when the time comes, if needed, we want to let her go peacefully. We can't bear to see her suffer any more."