Man fined $7k and banned five years for causing fatal accident
Published on Dec 1, 2014 1:03 PM
Lee Peng Yang, 61, a motor lorry driver was fined $7,000 and banned from driving for 5 years for causing the death of pedestrian Chew Kum, 74. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Elena Chong
SINGAPORE - A site supervisor who negligently caused the death of an elderly pedestrian in a road traffic accident was fined $7,000 and banned from driving for five years on Monday.
Lee Peng Yang, 61, was a lorry along Commonwealth Avenue West on April 25 this year when his vehicle hit Mr Chew Kum, 74, at about 8pm.
He admitted to causing Mr Chew's death through his negligence by failing to keep a proper lookout ahead while driving along the centre lane.
A court heard that Lee was driving home from work along Clementi Road when he entered the slip road joining Commonwealth Avenue West, a three-lane carriageway.
He stopped to check for oncoming traffic before proceeding to drive onto Commonwealth Avenue West, occupying the centre lane.
Suddenly, he noticed Mr Chew, who was crossing the road about 1 to 2m ahead of him, on his right. Mr Chew had reached the dotted lines adjoining the centre-lane and right-most lane of the road then.
Lee immediately applied his brakes and swerved the lorry to the left. But he was unable to avoid Mr Chew and struck him. Mr Chew died in hospital about an hour later from multiple injuries.
Lee stopped immediately to render help to Mr Chew. A motorcyclist travelling behind the lorry also stopped to give help and called the police.
He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligentl act.
