8-8-2023 (SINGAPORE) Tragic circumstances unfolded on the morning of August 7, 2023, as the lifeless body of a 34-year-old man was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition within a white vehicle. The grim discovery took place at a car park in close proximity to Apollo Gardens, a residential condominium situated along Upper Changi Road.
Upon the arrival of Shin Min Daily News reporters at the scene, an unsettling sight greeted them – a brown liquid had ominously seeped out from the driver’s seat of the vehicle, coupled with a noxious and pungent odour that hung in the air.
Residents residing nearby were alerted to the incident after the arrival of law enforcement authorities. A condominium resident who wished to be identified by the surname Zhang shared with Shin Min that he became aware of the situation due to the presence of police officers at the development around 9 am on the fateful day.
Zhang recounted, “As the police officers proceeded to remove items from the vehicle, they eventually extracted the deceased body. Approaching closer to the scene, an overpowering foul smell immediately caught my attention.”
The resident added that the police meticulously retrieved a spectacle box and a wallet from the vehicle, subsequently placing them on the adjacent grass patch to facilitate photography. The white vehicle was eventually towed away by a towing truck at approximately 11:50 am.
Days prior to the discovery, an unsettling odour had already been detected by some residents. Zhu, another inhabitant of the condominium, shared with the newspaper that he had noticed a man seated in the driver’s seat when he walked past the vehicle on that fateful Monday morning. At the time, he had sensed an unpleasant odour emanating from the vehicle.
Similarly, a domestic helper reported detecting the smell a few days earlier, roughly three to seven days prior, but remained uncertain about its origin.
The investigation brought to light that the residents of the condominium might have inadvertently overlooked the deceased man’s presence as they traversed the development’s entrance and exit. Zhu underscored that vehicles parked nearby often escape residents’ attention since public parking along the road is commonplace.
In response to queries from Shin Min, the Singapore Police Force verified that they had been alerted to a case of unnatural death along Upper Changi Road. A 34-year-old man was pronounced deceased at the location. Preliminary investigations by the authorities have not uncovered any indication of foul play. The police are actively continuing their investigations.
Family members of the deceased expressed their shock and disbelief at the sudden loss of their loved one. The man’s elder sister conveyed that he worked as a delivery personnel. On the morning of August 8, family members were at the mortuary to claim the deceased man’s body.
The elder sister disclosed, “My brother used to reside with our parents, occasionally staying over at his friend’s place. We hadn’t been in contact for a week, but we didn’t view it as a cause for concern. We never anticipated such a tragic outcome.”
In regard to the circumstances surrounding his passing, the elder sister noted that their family had no known medical history that could shed light on the cause of his demise. Furthermore, the family remains uncertain as to why he was present near the car park adjacent to Apollo Gardens. Answers to these questions, the sister asserted, would likely emerge with the completion of the police investigation report.
