Taxi Driver Pleads Guilty To Negligence In Accident Outside Gleneagles Hospital That Killed 1 & Injured 5
About one and a half years ago, an accident outside Gleneagles Hospital that ensued from a taxi driver’s mistake claimed the life of a 70-year-old man.
On Monday (9 Mar), taxi driver Ho Kee Hoe pleaded guilty to causing death by a negligent act and 2 other charges, reported Channel NewsAsia (CNA).
On 4 Oct, 2018, he unintentionally stepped on the wrong foot pedal, causing his SMRT taxi to lurch forward and hit 2 other vehicles.
Besides killing 70-year-old Indonesia Suparno, the blunder caused injuries to 5 other people.
Left vehicle outside Gleneagles Hospital without stopping it properly
Ho, 64, was driving a passenger to Annex A building of Gleneagles Hospital that day when he stopped and got out to retrieve his passenger’s wheelchair from the boot.
However, as he did not stop the taxi properly, it inched forward. He went back to the driver’s seat to attempt to hit the brakes, but stepped on the accelerator instead.
Crashed into 2 vehicles and road marshal
The taxi first crashed into a stationary vehicle, injuring its 31-year-old driver.
Subsequently, it slammed into a car park gantry and struck another taxi that was turning into the hospital, killing Mr Suparno and injuring two other passengers as well as the driver.
A traffic marshal working in front of the hospital was also hurt.
Here’s quick clip from the Trans-Cab taxi’s in-car camera for an idea of the impact the SMRT taxi caused:
As you can see, the taxi that was carrying Mr Soparno suffered such a hard blow that it veered away from its original path into the kerb.
Here’s another view of the aftermath of the accident:
The damage to the side of the taxi certainly appeared very serious.
Victims suffered a range of injuries
Mr Soparno, who reportedly already had underlying heart conditions, was taken to the hospital’s Accident & Emergency department with rib fractures, low oxygen levels and shortness of breath.
He died that same day, with his heart disease exacerbating the injuries he sustained during the accident.
The 5 other casualties suffered a range of back and neck injuries following the fender-bender.
Ho himself suffered a 3cm-deep cut on his ear and an abrasion on his toe.
Taxi driver pleaded guilty to causing death
Ho will await sentencing on 17 Mar, after pleading guilty to 3 charges. Besides being responsible for one person’s death due to negligence, he also faced 2 other charges relating to the injuries suffered by the other victims.
While his mistake was clearly unintentional, the tragic outcome of his negligence and carelessness was ultimately irreversible for one victim.
As such, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both, according to CNA.
MS News sends our condolences to the family of Mr Soparno, and hope that the upcoming conclusion to this devastating incident will give them some closure in this difficult time.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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