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Lorry driver gets jail, 8-year driving ban over fatal crash with speeding motorcyclist

SINGAPORE — A 48-year-old lorry driver was jailed for four months on Tuesday (June 28) after failing to keep a proper lookout when making a right turn, colliding into and causing the death of a speeding motorcyclist.

Two other motorcyclists were also injured during the accident on Feb 29, 2020.

Shi Guohua, a China national, was jailed after he pleaded guilty to one count of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users, causing death. He was also disqualified from driving and holding all classes of driving licences for eight years effective after his release.

Two other similar charges were taken into consideration during sentencing by District Judge Salina Ishak.

The court heard that Shi was travelling on the first lane of Jalan Boon Lay, a three-lane road, towards Jurong Pier Road at about 8.40am when the accident took place.

Mohamad Yusran Yusof, who was aged 40, was riding in the opposite direction along Jalan Boon Lay towards Jalan Bahar with his colleagues Mohammad Eskandar Shah Eksan and Elvin Chew Kee Meng. The three men were all on their own separate motorcycles, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Thiagesh Sukumaran said.

They had all ended work at oil and gas firm Exxon Mobil about three hours before that.

Without checking if other vehicles were in the way, Shi made a right turn onto Enterprise Road, directly crossing the path of the three motorcycles.

He “therefore made the right turn without reasonable consideration to (Yusran)” and his two colleagues, DPP Thiagesh said.

Yusran failed to avoid colliding into the lorry and was thrown off his motorcycle when he crashed into the rear of the lorry.

Mr Eskandar Shah also crashed into the lorry and fell off his motorcycle, while Mr Chew collided into Yusran's motorcycle.

Yusran was taken unconscious to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital where he died at 9.42am.

In an autopsy report dated March 1, 2020, a senior forensic pathologist certified the cause of death as “multiple injuries which were consistent with those sustained in a road traffic accident”.

Shi’s lorry was not found to have any mechanical fault that may have contributed to the accident. 

A senior forensic scientist from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) concluded in a report that had Shi looked in the direction of the oncoming traffic, he would have likely been able to spot Yusran on his motorcycle.

The HSA report also found that Yusran was travelling at an average speed of 103km/h to 139km/h, which was above the speed limit of 70km/h. The two colleagues were also speeding, the report stated.

At the time of the collision, Yusran was travelling at a speed of 103km/h to 111km/h.

For driving without reasonable consideration for other road users causing death, Shi could have been jailed up to three years or fined up to S$10,000, or both. Repeat and serious offenders could face additional punishment for such an offence. 

Related topics

court crime death driving ban speeding lorry driver motorcyclist

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