Man gets jail for careless driving in BKE crash that killed motorcyclist
The driver did not pay attention as he filtered into the motorcyclist's lane without signalling, the prosecutor said.
The State Courts of Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to 22 weeks' jail on Monday (Jan 13) for careless driving in a fatal crash with a motorcycle on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE).
Ang Yixian, 42, also received a mandatory eight-year ban from driving, which will take effect when he is released from prison.
He pleaded guilty to one count of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users, with another similar charge considered in sentencing.
The 24-year-old man who was riding the motorcycle died of head injuries three days after the accident.
The court heard that at about 9.45am on Nov 6, 2023, Ang was driving his car along the third lane of the BKE towards the Pan Island Expressway (PIE).
At the same time, the victim and his pillion rider were on a motorcycle in the second lane, ahead and to the right of Ang's car.
Investigations showed that the motorcycle should have been in Ang's full view for at least three to four seconds.
Ang filtered right from the third lane into the second lane of the BKE. He did not signal and was not paying proper attention, the prosecutor said.
His car collided with the motorcycle and the victim and his pillion rider both fell. Ang also narrowly avoided hitting another motorcycle.
After the accident, Ang stopped his car and called an ambulance.
The motorcyclist was taken to the hospital and received emergency brain surgery. However, he died on the night of Nov 9, 2023.
At the time of the accident, the weather was clear, the surface of the road was dry, traffic flow was moderate and visibility was clear, the prosecutor said.
The prosecution sought seven to eight months' imprisonment, arguing that there was a prolonged period of inattention on Ang's part.
Ang could reasonably have seen the motorcycle and taken precautions before filtering, the prosecutor argued.
She also said that the potential harm was high as the accident took place on an expressway and Ang narrowly avoided hitting another motorcycle.
The defence asked for four months' imprisonment, highlighting that while Ang was not paying proper attention, he was not speeding, swerving or changing lanes abruptly.
The judge noted that a life was lost in the "unfortunate accident", and that the sentence must send a clear message that such driving was not acceptable.
He also said that the case manifested the basic elements of careless driving, and disagreed with the prosecution's position on the aggravating factors.
The punishment for careless driving that causes death is a jail term of up to three years, a fine of up to S$10,000 or both.
