Roads in our heartlands have a lower speed limit given the number of pedestrians and cyclists who share these paths.
In Nov 2019, however, a reckless driver knocked into an elderly cyclist while speeding along Tampines at 100km/h. The cyclist later succumbed to his injuries.
The 49-year-old driver was recently sentenced to 26 weeks’ jail and banned from driving for 8 years.
At around 8am on 21 Nov 2019, 49-year-old Johnson Yap was driving his black Mercedes along Tampines Ave 3.
After overtaking a bus, Yap reportedly sped towards a busy pedestrian crossing between an HDB estate and a heartland shopping district.
After observing that the traffic light was green, Yap allegedly continued to speed at around 95-97km/h — almost twice the speed limit of 50km/h.
About 2 car lengths away from the crossing, Yap noticed the victim cycling across the road, and jammed on the brakes but sadly to no avail.
The elderly cyclist was reportedly flung onto the Mercedes’ windscreen before he landed on the road.
A viral picture on Facebook showed a massive pool of blood next to the car, presumably where the collision happened.
The impact of the collision also showed through the extensive damage that the bicycle sustained:
The 64-year-old suffered a multitude of injuries, including a severely fractured skull, broken ankle, and deformed shin. The elderly man succumbed to his injuries hours later.
Upon colliding with the cyclist, Yap immediately stopped his vehicle and rendered help to the victim, reports Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
On Friday (2 Jul), Yap pleaded guilty to driving without reasonable consideration.
In an attempt to mitigate his sentence, Yap’s lawyer pointed out that the cyclist had crossed the road when the pedestrian light was red.
However, the District Judge retorted that Yap would have had a 1.5x longer duration to react had he kept to the speed limit.
In the end, Yap was sentenced to 26 weeks’, or around 6 months’ and 2 weeks’, jail, and an 8-year driving ban. He could’ve faced up to 3 years’ jail, up to $10,000 fine, or both.
Other mitigating factors taken into consideration include his guilty plea, cooperation, and genuine remorse.
It’s disturbing to hear of such an accident that could’ve been prevented had the driver in question not sped.
We hope the punishment serves as a warning for all drivers not to speed and endanger other road users.
Our condolences go out to the family and friends of the deceased cyclist. May he rest in peace.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Google Maps.
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