Rui En charged with careless driving, plans to plead guilty

SINGAPORE — Local television actress Rui En has been charged with one count of careless driving after she hit a stationary motorcycle at a Clementi open-air car park on April 12.

The 35-year-old, whose real name is Lu Rui En, did not have a lawyer with her on Wednesday (June 22) but told the judge that she intends to plead guilty.

Walking out of court after the brief hearing, the actress, who was accompanied by two women, declined to speak to the media, saying that it was “not convenient”.

One of those who accompanied her said they were “unexpectedly” told on Tuesday to appear in court. Prosecutors said the charge was served to her on May 24.

When asked if she would engage a lawyer, Rui En shook her head before leaving.

Court documents stated that Rui En allegedly failed to keep proper control of her vehicle, a BMW, while driving into a car park in the vicinity of Block 331, Clementi Avenue 2 at about 4.16pm that day.

She purportedly mounted a road kerb and collided head-on into a stationary motorcycle belonging to Mr Bahrom Sarmiten, 52.

When Mr Bahrom confronted her, the actress asked if he knew who she was, drawing flak.

Following the accident, Rui En apologised for her “judgmental error” and “careless driving”, and admitted that she should have handled the situation “with more tact”.

She said she had meant to tell Mr Bahrom she lives in the area and “won’t run” since people would recognise her, but admitted that her choice of words was “inappropriate”, causing unnecessary misunderstanding.

This was the second traffic accident the actress was involved in in recent months. In January, she hit a car and the owner put up her licence plate number on social media before the actress contacted the owner and made a private settlement, Lianhe Zaobao reported previously.

Rui En will be back in court on July 1. If convicted of driving without due care or reasonable consideration, she could be jailed up to six months and/or fined up to S$1,000.

In 2006, actor Christopher Lee was jailed four weeks, fined S$4,500 and banned from driving for three years after he was found guilty of drink-driving and hit-and-run charges.

Actor Terence Cao had his driver’s license suspended for two years and fined S$4,100 when he was charged with drink driving after failing a breathalyser test in 2005.