On Sunday (9 Oct), a 69-year-old taxi driver in Singapore allegedly closed his car window on a Traffic Police (TP) officer’s arm and dragged him along the road.
The incident happened along Farrer Road and the driver was subsequently arrested.
If he proves guilty of causing hurt to a civil servant, he faces up to seven year’s jail, a fine, or both.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), the TP officer was patrolling Holland Road when he spotted the taxi driver using his phone while driving.
He signalled for the driver to stop, but the latter allegedly ignored him and continued driving.
After following the taxi, the officer managed to stop the cabby along Farrer Road.
Source: Google Maps
When he questioned the driver, however, the cabby was reportedly uncooperative, refusing to provide his details.
Thinking that he might drive off again, the officer reached his hand out to turn off the car’s ignition button.
However, the driver allegedly cranked up his window and drove off before the officer could remove his arm.
The 34-year-old officer was then dragged along the road for a few metres until the driver stopped and opened the window, reports CNA.
The driver’s actions resulted in his subsequent arrest for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from discharge of duty.
A video on the SG Road Vigilante Facebook page appears to have captured the incident.
Source: SG Road Vigilante on Facebook
The clip shows a TP officer reaching into a yellow taxi that had stopped at the side of the road.
The officer was promptly conveyed to the hospital conscious and received outpatient care.
Anyone found guilty of harming a public servant to prevent them from their duties could face up to seven years’ jail, a fine or caning.
However, since the driver is over 50 years old, he cannot be caned.
For using a phone while driving, he could receive a fine of $1,000, a six-month jail sentence, or both.
The incident is currently under investigation. The police also took the opportunity to remind the public to abide by traffic rules.
In response to the incident, ComfortDelGro group chief branding and communications officer Tammy Tan said in a statement:
Our drivers have always been told to observe road safety and cooperate with the authorities. The behaviour of the cabby in question is completely unacceptable and is certainly not condoned by the company.
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Featured image adapted from SG Road Vigilante on Facebook and Google Maps.
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The police are investigating the incident.