SINGAPORE – Motorcyclist Mahmud Azmani Fikri was waiting for the red light to turn green at a junction in Tampines when his world suddenly went dark.
When he opened his eyes, he was lying heavily bandaged on a hospital bed, his body plastered with bruises and patches where skin used to be, unable to move his legs.
On Dec 23, 2021, a drunk driver ploughed into five vehicles, including Mr Mahmud’s motorcycle, that had stopped at a red light along Tampines Avenue 10.
The driver had been travelling at speeds of up to 169kmh. The impact killed a Gojek driver, 59, and injured six others, including Mr Mahmud.
Mr Mahmud, who was crushed between two cars, suffered a traumatic brain injury, damage to his spinal cord, and multiple fractures on his right leg. There was also a hole on his chin caused by flying debris.
He now has a metal rod in his right leg and multiple screws in his neck and shoulders.
X-rays showing injuries and metal screws in Mr Mahmud’s right leg after he was crushed between two cars in the December 2021 accident.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MR MAHMUD AZMANI FIKRI
Pulling up his jeans to reveal his injuries as he spoke to The Straits Times on April 9, 2026, Mr Mahmud, 28, who is unemployed, said the crash happened so fast he could not remember anything about it.
“When I woke up in hospital, it felt like only half my body was awake. I was covered in bandages like a mummy and could not move my legs at all. I thought I’d never walk again,” he said.
Mr Mahmud in the hospital after the accident.
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF MR MAHMUD AZMANI FIKRI
Singapore’s roads are now at their most dangerous in years, with traffic deaths hitting a 10-year high of 149 in 2025 compared with 141 in 2016.
Given this dire situation, ST will be running stories to remind all road users, including drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians, to be responsible on the road.
