Driver jailed over fatal accident involving 15-year-old jaywalker

SINGAPORE: A driver who failed to keep a lookout for a pedestrian who was jaywalking across a road was jailed for two months on Thursday (Jun 27) after he hit and killed the 15-year-old boy. 

Tan Joo Sing, 57, was also disqualified from driving for eight years. 

Tan earlier pleaded guilty to one count of driving a car without reasonable consideration for others using the road. 

Tan was driving to fetch his daughter from work when the accident occurred on Oct 27, 2020. 

Around 10.30pm that day, he was driving along Queensway in the direction of Jalan Bukit Merah when he failed to notice the victim first stepping onto the three-lane road. 

The teenager started to cross the signalised pedestrian crossing, even though the traffic light signal was green in Tan’s favour and red for pedestrians. 

He walked for about four seconds when Tan’s car collided into him. The teenager was then flung onto the road and left unconscious. 

According to court documents, the speed limit for vehicles traversing Queensway Road, between Jalan Bukit Merah and Portsdown Avenue was 60 kmh. 

Tan was estimated to have been travelling at between 64 kmh and 79 kmh, and only applied his brakes some 0.5 seconds to 0.6 seconds before the collision. 

The teenager was conveyed to the National University Hospital where he died the next morning. 

He sustained multiple skull fractures and died from head injuries. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yeow Xuan sought two to four months’ jail in addition to a mandatory eight-year driving disqualification. 

Ms Yeow said the prosecution had taken into account the fact that the victim had been jaywalking. 

However she referred to the coroner’s comments at the conclusion of the coroner’s inquiry, which was that motorists should keep a careful lookout for pedestrians and other road users even when the traffic light signals are in their favour. 

“The extent of the accused’s failure to keep a proper lookout in this case is not wholly egregious – the accused had in fact noticed the victim at the point he entered his driving lane, but failed to spot the victim prior to that,” said Ms Yeow. 

She added that the victim’s conduct therefore diminished the extent of Tan’s negligence and was a relevant factor for sentencing.

According to an earlier report by TODAY, Tan’s lawyer Thangavelu of Trident Law Corporation had sought the maximum fine of S$10,000 (US$7,366).

Mr Thangavelu said that the accident happened shortly after Tan had turned away to look out for oncoming vehicles. Since then, Tan has been “extremely traumatised” and has had to live with the guilt, fear and trauma over the incident, the lawyer said. 

For driving without due care or reasonable consideration, Tan could have been jailed up to three years, or fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,368), or both. The offence also carries a mandatory driving ban of at least eight years.