A 38-year-old Malaysian man was killed in a road accident in Singapore after a female private-hire driver didn’t see that the red traffic light was switched on.
The driver later pleaded guilty to two counts of negligent and careless driving and is expected to be sentenced on Feb 27.
What happened
According to Shin Min Daily News and Mothership, the driver, Bok Chuan Yue, was driving along Changi Road towards Geylang Road at about 11:40pm on Mar 26, 2024.
After dropping off a passenger, Bok intended to head over to Geylang to net more customers as demand tended to be higher in the area.
As she made her way to the junction of Changi Road and Jalan Eunos, she didn’t see that the traffic light had turned red as she was engrossed in her search for customers.
This led to her running the red light seven seconds later and crossing the stop line, where she hit a motorcycle travelling along Jalan Eunos and had the right of way, along with another car.
Succumbed to injuries
Due to the collision, Wong Jun Jie was thrown off his motorbike and fell onto the lane of the opposite traffic.
As for Bok’s car, it spun for about half a round before coming to a stop.
Wong, who sustained severe injuries, was rushed to Changi General Hospital and later went into a vegetative state following a surgery.
Two weeks later, Wong’s family made the difficult decision to take him off life support as he didn’t show any signs of improvement.
He breathed his last on Apr 14, 2024.
Pleaded guilty
Appearing in court on Tuesday (Feb 10), Bok said she failed to see the red light due to the festive lights on the road and her lack of familiarity with the area.
She also reportedly didn’t get behind the wheel again after the accident.
Bok’s lawyer asked the court to impose a jail term not more that six months, arguing that the accident was caused by alcohol or drugs, but by Bok’s constant thinking about work.
She faces a fine of up to S$10,000 (approx. RM30,900), up to three years’ imprisonment, or both if convicted.
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