Source: Shin Min Daily News
On 6 Feb, a speeding driver caused an accident on the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE), which led the death of a motorcyclist.
The driver has been identified as Pua Yui Loon, who worked as a cashier at a lounge bar in Singapore, according to Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
He was sentenced to three years and 10 months in jail on 10 Sept.
Leading up to the accident, the 28-year-old Malaysian had worked overnight at the bar where he also consumed alcohol.
After the bar closed around 1am, Pua drove a colleague home to Paya Lebar before going onto the BKE towards Woodlands Checkpoint.
He sped on the rightmost lane at speeds of at least 141km/h, far exceeding the speed limit of 90km/h.
While driving, Pua noticed a motorcycle with two people on it in the same lane ahead of him and slowed down slightly.
The Straits Times (ST) reported that at 1.20am, he tried to overtake them by squeezing into the space to their right. Pua’s car ended up colliding with the motorcycle, which overturned, but he then drove off without stopping his vehicle.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Two vehicles behind them caught the accident on their in-car cameras.
The 22-year-old motorcyclist Joshua Chiam Chee Wai and his 23-year-old girlfriend Siti Noor Diyana Abdul Rahim were both violently flung to the ground.
Ms Siti, still conscious, found her boyfriend lying face down and unresponsive. She was unable to move to him due to her injuries.
Paramedics conveyed Ms Siti to the hospital and pronounced Mr Chiam dead at the scene. His cause of death was certified as from head injuries.
The motorcycle had also suffered severe damage, with parts of the seat and engine ripped off as well as dents in the wheels and fuel tank.
Pua, meanwhile, had fled across the Causeway and back to his condo in Johor Bahru (JB).
The next day on 7 Feb, Pua took a bus into Singapore and was arrested at Woodlands Checkpoint.
The police and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) identified the involved driver with the help of video footage from witnesses, reported ST.
On 10 Sep, Pua pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing death.
Another five charges including failure to render assistance, failure to report the accident, and dangerous driving causing grievous hurt were included in sentencing considerations.
The prosecutor requested four to five years in jail, noting Pua’s excess speed and deliberate dangerous driving in attempting to squeeze past a motorcycle.
She added that Pua had caused physical and emotional harm to Ms Siti and that he fled the scene instead of stopping to help.
The defence alleged that Pua’s guilt would stay with him for the rest of his life and that he remorsefully wanted to apologise to the deceased’s family and Ms Siti.
His lawyer also said Pua “deeply regretted” not stopping and sped off because he was scared. He added that the defendant did not intend that as an excuse.
His lawyer sought the minimum sentence of two years’ jail.
The judge, however, pointed out that Pua’s speed of 141km/h was “extremely high” beyond “mere speeding” and disagreed with a minimum sentence.
He also questioned about whether Pua was drink-driving, as he had consumed beer in the bar before leaving.
Pua’s lawyer replied that there was no evidence that he had been intoxicated, as no alcohol level could be established at the scene. He altered the requested jail sentence to slightly over two years.
Ultimately, the judge sentenced Pua to three years and 10 months in jail, alongside a 10-year driving ban.
He highlighted the excessive speeding and consumption of alcohol as factors.
Also read: Driver Fled To M’sia After BKE Accident That Killed 22-Year-Old Rider, Charged With 5 Offences
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News and by MS News.
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