SINGAPORE — Before he picked up his friend Wu Wei Wei from a nightclub in Clarke Quay, Mr Ma Chi, 31, had told her he was out “practising” his driving.

About 15 minutes later, at 4.15am, Mr Ma’s 10-month-old red Ferrari, which was found to be engaged in “race” transmission control mode, beat a red light at the junction of Victoria Street and Rochor Road, and barrelled into a taxi, killing Mr Ma, the taxi driver and the latter’s passenger.

His speed was 178kmh, according to data clocked in the in-vehicle camera of his car.

Yesterday, some five months after the high-profile accident on May 12, fresh details emerged at a coroner’s inquiry, including Mr Ma’s driving speed, which was almost three times the 60kmh speed limit for the road.

The inquiry also heard that no alcohol or drugs were found in Mr Ma’s blood, although there were traces of Chlorpheniramine — an antihistamine commonly used to treat symptoms of flu — in his urine, which a pathologist concluded would not have any effect on him.

Chlorpheniramine may cause drowsiness, dizziness, fatigue and blurred vision, but as it was found in Mr Ma’s urine, the pathologist said it indicated that Mr Ma, a China national who was the Managing Director of software development company Techaccount, had consumed the medication some time earlier.

State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid, however, asked Traffic Police investigator Mohd Shahril Abdullah to check with Mr Ma’s wife — who was not in court — whether he had consumed any flu medication just before the incident.

In his 14-page report to the inquiry, Senior Staff Sergeant Shahril concluded that the police do not suspect any foul play.

Chilling footage

Footage from the camera in Mr Ma’s car was one of three video clips shown during the inquiry.

It showed that as Mr Ma was on Victoria Street, approaching the pedestrian crossing between Bugis Village and Bugis Junction, he was driving at 169kmh.

By then, the traffic lights at the Rochor Road junction, which was 58m away, had turned red but he did not slow down.

Less than two seconds later, his car — with a last recorded speed of 178kmh — rammed into a taxi driven by Mr Cheng Teck Hock, killing the 52-year-old and his passenger, Japanese student Ito Shigemi, 41.

A courier, Mr Muhammad Najib Ghazali, 26, was injured when he was flung off his motorcycle after it was hit by Mr Cheng’s taxi.

Mr Cheng’s wife and daughter, who were in court, broke down as they watched the video clips. They declined to speak to reporters later.

Footage from the in-vehicle camera of another taxi driver, Mr Yeo Kim Cheng, an extract of which had been uploaded on YouTube previously, was also played.

Mr Yeo was also on Rochor Road but Mr Cheng had driven off ahead of him.

It showed that the traffic lights had turned green in their favour for about five seconds before Mr Ma crashed into Mr Cheng’s taxi.

The inquiry heard that there were no reports of traffic light malfunctions at that junction that day.

The hearing continues tomorrow.