SINGAPORE — A 24-year-old lorry driver has been arrested after running a red light and crashing into another lorry in Singapore’s Choa Chu Kang, leaving 21 people injured, police said on Friday.

The collision occurred at about 10.45pm on Wednesday at the junction of Choa Chu Kang Way, Sungei Kadut Avenue and Sungei Kadut Loop, CNA reported.

Preliminary investigations showed that the driver, who was ferrying nine passengers, failed to stop at the red light and collided with another lorry that was crossing the junction on a green signal.

“The other lorry was ferrying 11 passengers. Apart from the driver who ran the red light, the remaining 21 people from both vehicles were taken to hospitals, with injuries including fractures, lacerations and bodily pains,” the police said.

He was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt. Investigations are ongoing.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told the Singapore-based news outlet that one person trapped in a passenger seat had to be freed using hydraulic rescue tools.

Six people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, while 15 others were conveyed to Woodlands Health Campus.

Police said red-light running remains a serious concern, with the number of such accidents — including fatal ones — rising by 38 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared with a year earlier, despite fewer overall violations.

As part of broader road safety measures, authorities have begun requiring speed limiters on lorries weighing between 3,500kg and 12,000kg to cap speeds at 60kmh, with full compliance due by January 2026.

Under Singapore law, the offence of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt carries a jail term of up to five years and disqualification from driving all vehicle classes. Repeat offenders face up to 10 years in prison.