THERE was no wake for the 21-year-old undergraduate killed in a four-vehicle accident over the weekend.
Just hours after Miss Audrey Leo Yue Ling's body was claimed from the mortuary yesterday, she was cremated.
Her father, Mr Leo Chow Yen, 53, said he and his former wife decided against a wake because it would have caused more sadness.
Their only child died in hospital of multiple injuries on Saturday night, less than three hours after she was flung off a motorcycle along the Ayer Rajah Expressway.
The third-year science student at the National University of Singapore had been riding pillion on her boyfriend's motorcycle when it skidded and went out of control after he tried to avoid a car.
The car had crashed against a railing on the left side of the road, bounced off it, slid across the highway and hit the central divider rail on the right.
Another car and motorcycle collided into each other while trying to avoid this vehicle.
All the other five accident victims, including Miss Leo's boyfriend, suffered minor injuries and received outpatient treatment.
Miss Leo's father, a container truck driver, said her boyfriend had not contacted him since the accident. He had often discouraged his daughter from riding pillion on the motorcycle, he added.
Mr Leo, who lived with his daughter at Block 271 in Toh Guan Road , said she was a hardworking, obedient girl who did well in her studies.
'But she had been sad ever since my wife and I split up last year,' he said.
Several of Miss Leo's university classmates were too distraught to speak about her.
But her life sciences lecturer, Associate Professorial Fellow Teo Tian Seng, said: 'It saddens me to hear of such a tragedy as I have three teenage daughters of about the same age as Audrey.'
Miss Leo's was not the only life lost last Saturday on the roads. Early that morning, a 20-year-old motorcyclist died after he hit a van at a road junction in Changi.
Mr Mohammed Zahid Wahid was travelling towards Bedok along Upper Changi Road East , when he collided with the van driven by a 43-year-old man at the junction of Upper Changi Road North at about 12.30am.
The lifeguard suffered serious multiple injuries and was taken to Changi General Hospital where he died about 45 minutes later without regaining consciousness.
K.C. VIJAYAN
Ms Audrey Leo was formerly an ex pioneer from class 01S23..She passed away in a road accident along Ayer Rajah Expressway on 30/7/2005 .I may not know her personally...but my heart goes out to her family for she's a fellow PJCians.
This just shows you how fragile life is....I may be here today but who knows what'll happen to me the next day...it's all in Allah hands...kita merancang,Dia yang menentukan
And I can't stress enough how important it is to be safe on the road especially if you ride a bike...be it if you're the biker or just a pillion...i lost a friend through this and I don't want to see another go away in the same manner...Please be careful...
Hanim