BMW Driver Who Fatally Hit Boy In Punggol Jailed 2 Years & Banned From Driving

BMW Driver Pleads Guilty To Beating Red Light In Fatal Punggol Accident Involving Schoolboy

In October last year, a 14-year-old boy was crossing the road in Punggol when he was hit by a BMW.

Sadly, he passed away from his injuries after three weeks in hospital.

The BMW driver has now been jailed for two years over the fatal accident.

He was also banned from driving for 10 years.

BMW driver drove through red light at Punggol pedestrian crossing

The driver, Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran, 25, was driving to his father’s home on 10 Oct 2022, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA) based on court proceedings.

While he was driving along Sumang Walk in Punggol, he encountered a pedestrian crossing. The traffic light for motorists was red at the time.

However, he failed to stop at the crossing, driving through instead.

14-year-old boy hit by BMW

At the same time, 14-year-old Adriel Choo Yong Xing was walking back home from school.

He stopped at the crossing when it was red for pedestrians, and began to cross when the light turned green for him.

He ended up being hit by Firhan’s BMW, which had beat the red light.

Horrifically, he was flung some distance away by the impact.

He was taken to Sengkang General Hospital, where he passed away on 2 Nov 2022.

BMW driver looked at green light of another junction in Punggol

In court on Monday (18 Dec), Firhan pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing death.

His lawyer said he had committed an “error of judgment” because he had been looking at the green light of a traffic junction further in front.

Up till then, the defendant had a clean driving record and cooperated with the authorities during investigations into the accident.

The fact that he pleaded guilty early also meant that he had “genuine remorse”, the lawyer added, maintaining that Firhan knows there’s “nothing he can say or do” that can make up for the tragic loss of the boy’s life.

The lawyer also vouched that,

The accused sincerely apologises to the victim’s family and hopes that they will find closure.

BMW driver given minimum jail term

Eventually, Firhan was sentenced to two years’ jail and banned from driving for 10 years.

This is the mandatory minimum sentence for dangerous driving causing death under the Road Traffic Act.

He could have been jailed for a maximum of eight years.

Boy was well-behaved & kind

As for Adriel, his mother had said that he was already brain-dead while in hospital.

She also revealed that her son had dyslexia — a learning disorder that causes difficulty in reading.

Despite his condition, though, the boy never gave up. He was hardworking and studied hard to do well in school, his mother said.

Besides being a model student, Adriel was also a good son.

His mother described him as “very well-behaved and kind”, as well as faithful and devoted to God.

MS News extends our sincere condolences to the victim’s family. Hopefully, this verdict will give them some closure.

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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News.