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85-year-old woman who made illegal right turn against flow of traffic fined $4,000
Published Feb 27, 2026, 08:50 PMUpdated Feb 28, 2026, 09:28 AM
Ruth Chia Soh Kim was fined $4,000 after pleading guilty to one charge for driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Claudia Tan
SINGAPORE – While driving her friend home after dinner in 2024, an 83-year-old woman made an illegal right turn from Nicoll Highway into Bras Basah Road, against the flow of traffic.
She hit another car, leaving its 41-year-old female passenger with a fractured rib.
On Feb 27, 2026, Ruth Chia Soh Kim, now 85, was fined $4,000 after pleading guilty to one charge of driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt.
She was also handed a charge for causing hurt by driving without due care and attention, which was taken into consideration for sentencing.
Court documents stated that Chia left the Singapore Swimming Club in Tanjong Rhu at about 9pm on March 3, 2024, with her friend, Mr Lim Loo Leong, 90, who was in the passenger seat.
She was driving towards Tiong Bahru to take Mr Lim home, and was relying on him to give directions as she was unfamiliar with the route.
At about 9.20pm, Chia was approaching the junction of Nicoll Highway and Bras Basah, and stopped her car as the traffic light turned red.
When the traffic light turned green, she drove forward and turned right towards Bras Basah Road, a one-way street.
A video clip of the accident from Chia’s in-vehicle camera was played in court. Before making the turn, she could be heard asking Mr Lim: “Can turn here? Are you sure?”
Around the same time, Mr Vincent Foo Ghim Huat, 38, was driving on Nicoll Highway in the opposite direction from Chia, towards Guillemard Road.
When he saw Chia’s car, he applied the brakes but was unable to stop in time.
Chia’s car spun around and veered into the island at the zebra crossing at the junction, hitting several pedestrians who were standing at the island.
Mr Foo’s passenger, Ms Kreemounwai Rawiwan, fractured her ribs from the accident and suffered abrasions on her left hand and right knee. She was given 33 days of hospitalisation leave.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Intan Suhaily Abu Bakar sought a fine between $3,000 and $4,000 and a five-year driving disqualification for Chia.
She said: “Ordinarily, in the light of the above, the custodial threshold would be crossed. We have, however, borne in mind that the accused was to some extent misinformed by her passenger – though at the end of the day, as the driver, the sole and primary responsibility as to not driving into the flow of traffic lies with her.
“We have also borne in mind that the accused is elderly. Hence, we do not object to a fine being imposed.”
In mitigation, Chia’s lawyer, Ms Lee May Ling from Allen & Gledhill, highlighted that Chia had stayed at the accident scene until she was taken to the hospital, and fully cooperated with the authorities. Court documents did not state if Chia was injured after the accident.
Ms Lee added that her client has stopped driving since the accident and has sold her car.
In Singapore, Class 2 or Class 3 licence holders above the age of 65 have to be certified fit to drive by undergoing a medical exam every three years.
During the medical test, drivers have to report their medical history to the doctor, who will check for signs of physical disabilities, psychiatric disorder and hearing difficulty, among other things. A vision test and a basic mental impairment test will also be done.
For driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt, offenders can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.
They can also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence.
