“The Police take a serious view of such offences and will not hesitate to take firm action against those who endanger public safety on the roads.”
A 31-year-old man involved in seven traffic accidents over four months was set to be charged on Wednesday (15 July) with driving under the influence of etomidate, dangerous driving, and other traffic offences committed between Oct 2024 and Feb 2025.
On 6 Feb 2025 at around 8am, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) was alerted to a head-on collision between a car and a lorry along Punggol North Avenue.
According to the police, the man had driven against the flow of traffic on a three-lane road before colliding with the lorry.
No one was injured in the accident.
Officers arrested the man and seized a vape and a pod from him.
Source: Dragos Negoita’s Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Subsequent tests by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) detected etomidate in the man’s blood.
This confirmed his impairment at the time of the accident.
Following the accident, his driving licence has since been suspended.
According to the SPF, the man had also been involved in six other accidents between 21 Oct 2024 and 6 Feb 2025.
The first incident on 21 Oct 2024 occurred at about 7.55pm along Sengkang East Way.
The man rear-ended a stationary taxi after failing to keep proper lookout.
This then caused a 64-year-old female driver to suffer neck strain. She was taken to the hospital conscious.
On 22 Oct 2024 at around 9.10pm along the Marina Coastal Expressway (MCE), the suspect veered erratically across five lanes and collided into the left wall.
Shortly after, he veered back across the lanes and hit another car.
The 33-year-old driver of the second vehicle was conveyed to the hospital conscious after sustaining a wrist fracture and neck and back injuries.
The man was subsquently involved in two separate rear-end collisions on 1 Feb 2025.
The first accident occurred along Punggol Way at 11am.
This was followed by a second incident at 5.05pm along Dunearn Road heading towards the Newton Flyover.
Source: Monkey Business Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
Both were caused by his failure to keep a proper lookout. However, no one was injured in either accident.
A vape was seized at the second scene, and the vape-related offence was referred to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA).
Investigators later found that the man had given a false statement claiming he had not inhaled from the vaporiser.
The following day, on 2 Feb 2025 at 10.20am, the man failed to keep control while making a right turn at the junction of Yio Chu Kang Link and Boundary Road.
He then collided with a traffic light pole, uprooting it and causing his car to overturn.
Just two days later, the man failed to keep a proper lookout and collided with a motorcycle along Simei Avenue at 12.05pm.
The 27-year-old rider was hospitalised with a wrist fracture and chest injury.
Another vape was seized, with the offence subsequently referred to HSA.
The 31-year-old man is facing multiple charges, including driving without due care and attention, dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, driving under the influence of drugs, and furnishing false information to a public servant.
“Driving under the influence of any substance that impairs one’s ability to drive safely is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible act that puts the lives of all road users at grave risk,” the SPF said.
“The Police take a serious view of such offences and will not hesitate to take firm action against those who endanger public safety on the roads.”
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Featured image adapted from Dragos Negoita’s Images on Canva, and Monkey Business Images on Canva, for illustration purposes only.