Former local actor Edmund Chen, 63, has been sentenced to five days’ jail and disqualified from holding all classes of driving licences for five years over a traffic accident that left a young motorcyclist seriously injured.
Chen, whose legal name is Tan Kai Yuan, pleaded guilty on Thursday (29 Jan) to one count of causing grievous hurt by driving without reasonable consideration for other road users.
Source: @edmundchen.sg on Instagram
The accident occurred at about 12.09pm on 4 March 2025 along the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) towards the Central Expressway (CTE).
The court heard that Chen was driving in the fourth lane of a four-lane stretch of the AYE as he approached a road split, where lanes one and two lead towards the Central Expressway (CTE) and Seletar Expressway (SLE), while lanes three and four lead towards Keppel Road.
Although he intended to head towards the CTE-SLE, Chen had failed to form up in the correct lanes earlier.
Upon realising this near the split, he slowed his vehicle almost to a complete stop before abruptly filtering across lanes and crossing chevron markings, which mark a neutral zone where lane changes are prohibited.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Stephen Yeo said Chen failed to keep a proper lookout while making the manoeuvre. A 21-year-old motorcyclist approaching from behind swerved in an attempt to avoid Chen’s car but crashed into it.
Dashcam footage played in court showed Chen reacting in shock after the collision before stopping to assist the rider.
The motorcyclist was taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery for multiple wrist fractures.
He was hospitalised for two days and granted 99 days of hospitalisation leave, but did not suffer permanent disability.
Both the prosecution and defence had sought a fine.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephen Yeo asked for a fine of between S$3,000 and S$5,000 and a five-year driving disqualification, while Chen’s lawyers, Josephus Tan and Cory Wong of Invictus Law, sought a fine not exceeding S$3,000 and a similar period of disqualification.
However, District Judge Shawn Ho rejected the submissions, ruling that the case was serious enough to warrant a jail sentence.
In his decision, Judge Ho cited two key culpability factors: Chen’s intentional violation of traffic rules by changing lanes across chevron markings, and his sharp filtering across lanes during a sustained period of inattention.
He added that the risks involved were avoidable and could have been mitigated by following standard traffic rules and exiting at the next appropriate opportunity.
The judge said Chen’s conduct demonstrated “a cavalier disregard for the significant risk of a high-impact crash”.
In addition to the jail term, Chen was disqualified from driving for five years.
Chen later applied for a deferment of his sentence to settle work matters and spend Chinese New Year with his family.
Chen with his wife, actress Xiang Yun, and their two children, Chen Yixin and Chen Xi.
Source: @edmundchen.sg on Instagram
The court granted the request, and he will begin serving his sentence on 9 March.
Speaking to reporters after his sentencing, Chen appeared visibly emotional and at times teary-eyed.
In Mandarin, he apologised to the injured motorcyclist, referring to him as a “friend”, and said he was deeply sorry for the inconvenience and pain caused.
“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the friend who was injured and hospitalised for two days as a result of this incident,” Chen said. “For causing him so much inconvenience and pain, I’m really very sorry.”
He added that he was relieved to learn that the victim had made a full recovery, saying this had given him “a lot of comfort”.
Chen also said he respected the judicial process and had taken the incident as a lesson, describing it as a reminder of the importance of traffic safety and obeying traffic rules.
Before speaking further, he asked the media for time to collect his thoughts. He later thanked his family for their support and expressed appreciation for the public’s understanding.
On Friday (30 Jan), Chen also posted a statement on Instagram apologising for the incident.
Source: @edmundchen.sg on Instagram
In the post, he thanked members of the public for their concern and again apologised to the injured rider, adding that he also felt deeply for the rider’s family and regretted the worry and difficulty the incident had caused them.
Chen said he had reflected seriously on the incident and reiterated his respect for the legal process, describing it as an important lesson.
“I will continue to act with greater care and responsibility, particularly with regard to road safety,” he wrote. “I hope my apology is received in the spirit it is intended, and I appreciate everyone’s understanding and support.”
When asked whether he intended to appeal against the sentence, neither Chen nor his lawyers commented.
Also read: Edmund Chen charged over AYE crash that left motorcyclist grievously hurt, faces up to 2 years’ jail
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Featured image adapted from Edmund Chen on Facebook and @edmundchen.sg on Instagram.