Last April, a delivery driver knocked down a girl who was making her way across a zebra crossing at Bedok with her mother. The driver subsequently fled the scene, ignoring the girl’s mother’s plea for help.
On Monday (22 Aug), Sheik Salim Said, the driver in question, pleaded guilty to two counts of causing others grievous hurt whilst driving without due care. Three other charges were also taken into consideration during sentencing.
The 46-year-old was sentenced to five months in prison and given an additional driving ban of five years upon his release.
The Straits Times (ST) reports that Sheik Salim was travelling down Bedok North Drive in his car at about 8.20pm on 18 Apr 2021.
While approaching a zebra crossing connecting to Bedok North Avenue 1, he failed to pay proper attention and collided with a 37-year-old woman and her nine-year-old daughter. Both of them were heading across the zebra crossing while returning home from Bedok Mall.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeremy Bin, he did not slow down his vehicle before the collision.
Following the accident, Sheik Salim reportedly exited the vehicle and moved both victims to the side of the road. He fled the scene soon after, ignoring the mother’s cries for help to call an ambulance.
ST stated that passers-by later called for assistance and an ambulance conveyed both victims to Changi General Hospital. The police then tracked Sheik Salim down a day after the incident.
According to TODAY, both victims sustained injuries from the incident.
The girl suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to undergo invasive surgery as a result. She was also under sedation for 10 days in the intensive care unit and still suffers both short-term memory problems and behavioural changes.
Her mother had comparatively minor injuries, which included abrasions.
Sheik Salim’s defence counsel Audrey Koo asked for a more lenient sentence of three months’ jail and a minimum driving ban of five years. To support the plea, she pointed out that he had helped the victims by asking a passerby to call the ambulance as his phone was in his vehicle.
While he left the scene initially to complete his delivery order, he apparently returned afterwards but found that the victims were no longer there.
Ms Koo also claimed that Sheik Salim was unaware that he could not leave the scene following an accident.
Additionally, she pointed out that Sheik Salim is the sole breadwinner for his family — he has nine children, two of whom are enrolled in a special education school. He also has a bedridden sister with epilepsy under his care.
Ms Koo thus requested a lighter sentence, saying that her client was very remorseful, had co-operated with authorities with the investigations, and had pleaded guilty.
On Monday (22 Aug), he was sentenced to five months’ jail and was given a five-month driving ban.
His wife attended the trial with a few of their children and broke down after Sheik Salim received his sentencing. He was able to speak with them before authorities led him away to start his jail term.
For causing grievous hurt by driving without due care, Sheik Salim could’ve faced a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
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