Australian PR jailed 11 years after fatal drink-driving crash that injured his two young children
A 46-year-old Australian permanent resident (PR) has been sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment after driving under the influence with his two young children in the car and fatally striking a pedestrian along Dunearn Road.
The man, who cannot be identified due to a gag order protecting his children, was also fined S$12,000 and banned from driving for 15 years. The sentence was handed down on Monday (2 Feb).
Source: SGRV FRONT MAN on Facebook
Victim’s body severed into three parts in high-speed collision
According to CNA, the incident took place on 23 April 2023, after the man drove his silver BMW M3 Coupe to a birthday gathering at 100 Turf Club Road with his children, then aged three and four.
Court documents showed that he consumed both red and white wine during the party. Shortly before 2pm, he secured his children in booster seats and left the venue.
At the time, the man was fatigued after staying up the night before to care for his newborn baby. He had also taken an antihistamine earlier that morning for a runny nose and cough.
While travelling along Dunearn Road towards Bukit Timah Road, he drove at speeds ranging from 111kmh to 122kmh, far above the 70kmh limit, according to the prosecution.
Near Tan Kah Kee MRT Station, a 64-year-old Singaporean retiree began crossing the road. Having cleared most of the lanes, he was struck without warning as the BMW sped towards him without slowing.
Source: Wikimedia Commons, for illustration purposes only
The force of the impact ripped the victim’s body into three, sending his torso and head through the windscreen and onto the driver’s lap.
Children injured as car veered off course
The driver braked sharply following the collision, causing the car to veer into another lane.
Both the front and rear windscreens shattered, and the children cried in distress from the back seat, CNA reported.
The man later exited the car and called the police after pushing the victim’s torso out of the vehicle.
Officers arriving at the scene later discovered other parts of the victim’s body scattered along the roadway.
Source: SGRV ADMIN on Facebook
A preliminary breath test showed the driver had exceeded the legal alcohol limit. His blood alcohol level was later found to be nearly three times the permitted amount.
The children were taken to hospital, where they were treated for injuries including a scalp abrasion and abdominal pain.
History of drink driving
During sentencing, the court heard that the man had a previous conviction in 2015 for careless driving and drink driving.
In that earlier incident, he had fallen asleep in a stationary vehicle before driving into a police car.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh described him as a “serious repeat-repeat offender”, pointing to an escalating pattern of dangerous behaviour.
He said the offender had driven at extreme speeds while intoxicated, endangered his children, and caused the immediate death of an innocent pedestrian.
Source: SGRV FRONT MAN on Facebook
Defence pleads for leniency
The defence sought a lighter sentence, highlighting the man’s exhaustion, emotional shock, and responsibilities as the sole breadwinner of his family.
His lawyers argued that the medication consumed did not come with a drowsiness warning and said he had been deeply traumatised by the collision.
“The incident and the impending court proceedings have affected him emotionally,” one lawyer said, adding that the experience would “be etched in [his] memory forever”.
They also noted that the victim had crossed the road near an overhead bridge rather than at a signalised pedestrian crossing.
The judge ultimately imposed an 11-year jail term, a S$12,000 fine, and a 15-year driving ban. The man has been released on bail while he appeals against the sentence.
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Featured image adapted from SGRV FRONT MAN on Facebook.
