A 22-year-old full-time national serviceman has been sentenced to one week in jail after he collided with an 83-year-old woman while riding a bicycle on a footpath.
The injuries suffered by the victim ultimately led to her death.
Haaris Bin Sulaiman pleaded guilty in the State Courts on Monday (24 Aug) to one charge of causing death by a negligent act.
He was also ordered to pay S$5,000 in compensation to the victim’s family.
The incident occurred on 22 April, 2025 at about 5.36pm along a footpath near the Bugis Village junction on Rochor Road.
Aged 20 at the time, Haaris was serving as a full-time national serviceman with the Singapore Police Force, attached to Kampong Java Neighbourhood Police Centre.
Court documents showed that Haaris had rented a shared bicycle near Bugis Junction to cycle back to his home along Cambridge Road to collect his police uniform before reporting for duty at 6.30pm.
Source: IKALSEMI on Canva, for illustration purposes only.
As he approached the junction, Haaris rode past three pedestrians and looked to his right to check for traffic.
However, he failed to notice the elderly woman on his left. The bicycle’s left handlebar struck her, causing her to fall and hit her head.
Haaris immediately stopped, provided assistance and called for an ambulance.
The woman was taken to hospital with a skull fracture and intracranial haemorrhage.
She was pronounced dead two days later, on 24 April, 2025.
The speed limit for bicycles on footpaths in Singapore is 10km/h.
An analysis by the Health Sciences Authority found that Haaris was travelling between 8km/h and 14km/h before the collision.
The prosecution said there was no conclusive evidence that he was speeding at the exact moment of impact. However, given the number of pedestrians on the footpath, he should have exercised greater caution and dismounted to push the bicycle if necessary.
Prosecutors sought a two-week jail sentence, saying that general deterrence and accountability were important considerations. They stressed that careless riding can result in serious consequences for vulnerable road users.
Following the accident, Haaris offered S$5,000 in compensation to the victim’s family; however, they rejected the offer as insufficient, choosing instead to let the court determine a fair settlement, reports The Straits Times.
During mitigation, his lawyer, Faraaz Amzar, said Haaris was not speeding at the time of the collision and had shown deep remorse.
Mr Faraaz advocated for a short four-day jail term if the court decided to impose a custodial sentence.
He added that Haaris had financial difficulties but still attempted to provide compensation.
The lawyer also told the court that Haaris was scheduled to begin university the following week and requested that he not be given a custodial sentence.
In delivering the verdict, District Judge Lim Tse Haw highlighted that cyclist accidents peaked at a four-year high in 2025, citing a report from The Straits Times.
Stressing that the onus rests squarely on cyclists to watch for pedestrians, the judge noted: “Any death is one death too many.”
The court ultimately sentenced Haaris to one week’s imprisonment.
Also read: 23-year-old pedestrian sent to hospital after accident with motorcycle along Orchard Road
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Featured image adapted from IKALSEMI on Canva, for illustration purposes only, and MS News.