Wah lau eh, you ever hear of a story so senseless it makes your blood boil? You know how sometimes you grab a Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) after a few drinks, you kena “blackout” in the back seat, and then just go home to sleep? Simple, right?

Well, not for this 22-year-old British fellow, Oruche Morgan Fidelis. This guy decided that instead of just waking up and saying “sorry, Uncle,” he’d rather wake up and choose violence. And the result? A totally unnecessary tragedy that ruined a family.

Grab your kopi, let’s talk about this drama.

The Legend of Uncle Low: A Driver with a Heart of Gold

Before this whole mess, who was the man behind the wheel? His name was Low Ek Yong, a 66-year-old semi-retired driver. His kids were all grown up and doing well, he was a church-going man of faith, and basically living the peaceful Singaporean dream.

To his fellow driver kakis, Uncle Low was a absolute legend. Every Wednesday, he’d meet up with a group of PHV drivers for brunch. He was the kind of soft-spoken, humble guy who would sit quietly in one corner like a low-key Shaolin master, but the moment a fellow driver was struggling, Uncle Low was always the first to buy them a meal or drop sage advice. He was mild-mannered, extremely knowledgeable, and well-loved by everyone who knew him.

The “Blackout” and the Last Ride

Fast forward to June 12, 2024, around 10:30 PM. Uncle Low had just completed his 40th ride of the week—swee la, target hit! He was literally on his final trip for the night, so excited because he was scheduled to go on a family holiday the very next day.

Enter Fidelis, who had hammered back five pints of beer—not a small amount, mind you—and was out for the count in the back seat.

When the car rolled up to his destination at Sunset Way, Uncle Low did what any polite, decent driver would do: he tried to wake his passenger up so he could get paid, wrap up his shift, and go home to pack for his holiday.

But Fidelis didn’t wake up with a “where am I?” He woke up with major wake-up-wrong-side-of-bed energy. Instead of saying thanks, he got super angry, launched himself out of the car, charged at Uncle Low, and shoved him with full force.

The Shove That Changed Everything

Uncle Low crashed to the ground and hit his head hard, sustaining a severe skull fracture. He was rushed to the National University Hospital (NUH) for emergency treatment.

After the incident at Sunset Way, Uncle Low’s life changed drastically, leading to a long and difficult medical struggle.

Here is what happened following the skull fracture:

• Immediate Emergency Care: Following the assault on June 12, 2024, Uncle Low was taken to the National University Hospital (NUH) for emergency medical treatment.
• The Struggle: The injury he sustained was severe—a fractured skull—which resulted from the fall after being shoved.
• Fell Into Coma and Never Woke Up: For the entirety of his hospital stay, he remained in this unresponsive state, reliant on continuous medical care and monitoring. He never regained consciousness or showed signs of improvement during his time in the intensive care and step-down units.
• Passing Away: He spent the following year battling the consequences of this injury. Sadly, he passed away about a year later, on June 14, 2025.

It is truly a heartbreaking end for an Uncle who was just trying to do his job that night.

Why the “Justice” Feels So Thin

You might think, “Okay, surely justice will be served,” but life—and the law—is never that simple.

Well, here comes the legal plot twist that would make a lawyer pull their hair out:

• No Witness, No Case: Because the poor Uncle passed away, he couldn’t stand in court to tell his side of the story.
• The CCTV Dilemma: The court had to rely on a neighbor’s CCTV footage. The video showed Fidelis taking off his headphones and charging like a madman, yes. But it was grainy. It didn’t capture the exact moment of the contact.
• Medical Mystery: Because they couldn’t see exactly how the Uncle fell, the medical experts couldn’t 100% prove if the skull fracture came from a direct punch, a shove, or just the absolute bad luck of tripping over his own feet while trying to get away from the raging passenger.

The Legal “Discount”

Because Uncle Low had passed away and couldn’t testify, the court had to rely on grainy neighbor CCTV footage that didn’t catch the exact point of impact. Medical experts couldn’t prove 100% whether the skull fracture was caused directly by a punch, the shove, or Uncle tripping while trying to dodge the raging passenger.

As a result, the severe charge of “voluntarily causing grievous hurt” was dropped. Fidelis pleaded guilty to an amended assault charge. In September 2026, he was sentenced to a 5-day Short Detention Order and 100 hours of community service..

The Bottom Line

It’s a tough pill to swallow, isn’t it? A generous, humble man who just wanted to hit his target and go on holiday with his family loses his life, and the guy who pushed him walks away with a few days in detention and community service because of legal technicalities.

Uncle Low’s driver friends are now remembering him as a true gent and even suggesting that PHV drivers start equipping themselves with body cams for protection.

Next time you take a PHV, treat your driver with some respect. They are just trying to make an honest living and go home to their loved ones. RIP Uncle Low—Singapore lost a top-tier driver and a great soul!

What do you think, guys? Does “using criminal force” really cover the weight of a life lost, or has the system failed the Uncle here?

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