SINGAPORE — The sole survivor of a car crash that claimed the lives of three men took the stand as a joint Coroner’s Inquiry into their deaths opened today (Aug 27).

Logistics Officer Jamal Haneef Kader Sultan, 24, was saved by an airbag which inflated when the Honda Civic he was in hit a tree along Yio Chu Kang road in the early hours of March 2 this year.

His three friends — driver 24-year-old Rammohan Subash Nair, rear passengers 23-year-old Harendran Banjatjaram and 22-year-old Shankar Tharumalingam — died from their injuries.

During today’s inquiry, Mr Jamal told the court that he had met them and some other friends at the void deck of a block in Serangoon Avenue 4 late on the night of March 1. There, they consumed alcoholic drinks.

Around 2.30am, when the gathering was over, Mr Rammohan agreed to give Mr Jamal, Mr Harendran, and Mr Shankar a ride home.

Mr Jamal said he asked Mr Rammohan whether he was able to drive after consuming the alcohol. The latter responded that he was okay.

According to a toxicology report that was submitted to the court today, the level of alcohol in Mr Rammohan’s blood was 92 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood. This was over the prescribed legal limit of 80 milligrammes.

At that level, Mr Rammohan would have been intoxicated, if he was not used to alcohol, and would not able to undertake any mechanical tasks like driving a car.

He would also have experienced a delayed reaction time, and become inattentive as a result.

According to investigations, Mr Rammohan later lost control of the vehicle while driving down a slope at considerable speed.

A mechanical assessment and inspection of the car found that a nail was found embedded in the tyre thread of its left front tyre, and another in its right rear tyre. This caused the tyres to be partly punctured, and may have led to a loss of control of the vehicle.

Mr Jamal gave evidence that he had noticed Mr Rammohan’s hand, which was on the steering wheel, suddenly swerve to the left before he felt the tyres hit and mount a kerb.

Mr Jamal said he also noticed Mr Rammohan’s head swaying, and could not tell if his eyes were open or closed before the car crashed into a signboard.

Investigations revealed that the car flipped mid-air, hit a signboard, a concrete structure, a lamp-post, and a tree.

The collision shattered the rear windscreen.

The impact caused both Mr Mr Harendren and Mr Shankar who were not belted up, to be flung out of the broken windscreen. Mr Rammohan had to be extricated from the vehicle.

State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid asked Mr Jamal if he felt enough had been done to ensure Mr Rammohan was capable of operating the car.

Mr Jamal said no.

He had said earlier he believed the group was not drunk, but simply high after drinking the alcohol.

The families of the three dead men also attended the inquiry today.

No foul play is suspected, and the State Coroner is expected to deliver his findings on Sept 18. CHANNEL NEWSASIA