Motorist fined and banned for knocking down rider after making illegal U-turn
Financial associate Soon Choon Lin, 53, was on Tuesday fined $2,000 and banned from driving for a year.PHOTO: ST FILE
Published 20 October 2015
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent
SINGAPORE - A motorist made an unauthorised U-turn against the flow of traffic and hit an 83-year-old motorcyclist who had the right of way.
Financial associate Soon Choon Lin, 53, was on Tuesday fined $2,000 and banned from driving for a year for hurting Mr Ho Ah Meng, by acting negligently so as to endanger life, along Sims Avenue on June 2 this year. He pleaded guilty.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Lim Yu Hui said Soon was driving on the extreme left lane along the one-way Sims Avenue towards Sims Avenue East that morning when he cut across the chevron marking near Geylang Lorong 7.
He made an illegal U-turn against the flow of traffic. He failed to keep a proper lookout and hit Mr Ho who was travelling straight towards Sims Avenue East on the second lane.
The accident was captured on the in-vehicle camera of Soon's car.
The victim fell to the ground and was taken to hospital. He had left leg fractures, a puncture wound over the left lower leg and a large U-shaped cut at the left knee.
He was warded for 10 days, and given hospitalisation leave till July 3.
Soon, who was unrepresented, said in mitigation that he realised it was a wrong turn and wanted to resume his original journey. He said he thought it was a two-way traffic and could conveniently make the U-turn.
He could have been jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,500 for causing hurt by acting negligently in such a way as to endanger life.
