SINGAPORE — A man who ran a red light in Punggol and caused the death of a teenager crossing the road was sentenced to two years' jail and banned from driving for 10 years on Monday (Dec 18).

Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran, 25, pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving causing death.

The court heard that on Oct 10 last year, the 14-year-old victim was making his way home from school. As it was the examination period, school hours were shorter and he could head home early.

He stopped at a pedestrian crossing along Sumang Walk towards Sumang Link, when the traffic light signal for pedestrians was red at the time.

The boy began to cross the road when the traffic light signal turned to a green man. Correspondingly, the signal for vehicles was red at the time.

Firhan, who was driving to his father's home, failed to obey the red light and collided into the victim, flinging him a distance away.

The driver stopped his car after he felt the impact. A nearby witness immediately checked on the boy and observed that he was bleeding from his ears and unresponsive.

The victim was taken to Sengkang General Hospital unconscious, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries and died on Nov 2 last year.

MITIGATION

Firhan's defence lawyer Justin Ng Cho Yang called for him to receive the mandatory minimum punishment of two years' jail and 10 years' ban from driving.

Mr Ng argued that Firhan had cooperated with the authorities throughout investigations and pleaded guilty early, also showing "genuine remorse".

He described Firhan's dangerous driving as an "error of judgement", rather than him taking a conscious risk to beat a red light.

The accused had believed that a green traffic light signal at a further junction meant that he had the right of way to proceed straight, Mr Ng said.

However, the traffic light at the location of the accident was red when his car collided with the victim.

The accused also had a clean driving record.

Firhan "recognises that there is nothing he can say or do that will ever be sufficient to make up for the tragic loss" of the teenager, Mr Ng added.

"The accused sincerely apologises to the victim’s family and hopes that they will find closure."

For dangerous driving causing death, Firhan could have been jailed up to eight years. CNA