Sep 7, 2010
Gardener's death: Open verdict
By Khushwant Singh <!-- by line -->
<!-- end by line --> <!-- end left side bar -->
The driver, Madam Goi Pei Ling, was summoned to court as a potential defendant - which means she could be held criminally liable for the accident - but she chose to remain silent. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
GARDENER Supari Ahmad was squatting and picking up dry leaves along the driveway at No. 1 King Albert Park condominium at about 1.20pm on April 26. As his back was turned to the road, the 62-year-old probably did not see a Nissan Murano sports utility vehicle coming towards him. <!-- story content : start --> Taken to the National University Hospital (NUH), he became unresponsive. He died of complications arising from a fractured skull two days later.
At a coroner inquiry on Wednesday, State Coroner Victor Yeo returned an open verdict as he said the police was not able to determine how the collision took place. The court also did not have the benefit of the sworn testimony of the driver of the SUV, Madam Goi Pei Ling. The housewife, 37, was summoned to court as a potential defendant - which means she could be held criminally liable for the accident - but she chose to remain silent.
Madam Goi told police she had raised her left hand to acknowledge the security officer at the condo's main entrance without looking at him. She did not see Mr Supari and her first inkling of the accident was noises from beneath the car. She stopped and found him lying injured at the rear of her SUV. Security officer Ananthan Suppaya, 27, told Senior Staff Sergeant Oh that he noticed Madam Goi turning in at a speed of less than 10kmh.
The coroner did note that while the SUV's width was less than 1.9m wide, there was at least 1.35m leeway on either side of the 4.6m-wide driveway. For this reason, he said he was also unable to rule out the strong possibility that Madam Goi had failed to keep a proper lookout or if she had driven too close to the left kerb. It is now up the Attorney-General's Chambers to decide if she is to be prosecuted.
