SAF regular gets 10 weeks' jail, 5-year driving ban after causing motorcyclist to lose finger in PIE crash

SINGAPORE — A 30-year-old man was jailed for 10 weeks on Tuesday (Oct 11) after causing a serious accident while driving his car on the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) last year.

Alvan Erh Zhi Huang collided with a motorcyclist while changing lanes during the peak evening rush period.

As a result of the crash, the victim’s little finger was amputated and he also suffered a fractured collarbone.

Erh, a Singaporean, pleaded guilty to one count of causing grievous hurt by driving without due care and attention, which is an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) regular was also given a five-year disqualification from holding or obtaining any class of licence after his release. This is the mandatory minimum disqualification period for this offence.

District Judge Salina Ishak rejected both the prosecution’s and defence’s submissions for a community-based sentence in the form of a short detention order, where offenders serve jail time but have no criminal record when released.

WHAT HAPPENED

The court heard that Erh was driving along PIE towards Tuas on Aug 30 last year around 7pm. The motorcyclist, a 48-year-old Malaysian, was riding behind him in the next lane.

Traffic flow was heavy and the weather was clear at the time.

When the car in front of Erh’s vehicle braked due to heavy traffic, Erh failed to keep a proper lookout when he abruptly switched from the first lane to the second lane and collided with the victim.

After the accident, the motorcyclist was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He was discharged the next day and given 58 days of hospitalisation leave.

His motorcycle was also badly damaged from the accident, while Erh’s car had dents and scratches on the doors.

On Tuesday, the prosecution noted Erh’s clean driving record and told the court that a short detention order was an appropriate sentence to address his rehabilitative prospects.

Erh’s defence counsel, Mr B Rajendraprasad from Regent Law, also sought a seven-day detention order. The lawyer said that his client was remorseful and fully cooperated with the authorities.

However, District Judge Salina disagreed that a community-based sentence should be given. Erh was “clearly a mature working adult”, unlike accused persons in past cases that the prosecution relied on for their sentencing submissions, she added.

She also noted that the primary sentencing objective here was deterrence and protection of the public — particularly in light of the severity of the offence and degree of harm caused.

She told the court that community-based sentences are traditionally given to younger offenders, those who commit regulatory offences, or those suffering from specific and minor mental conditions, for example.

"In my view, this present case does not fall in such a category," District Judge Salina added.

She also said that vehicles travel at a faster speed on expressways and it was "not uncommon" to see chain collisions due to cars suddenly braking. The speed limit at that stretch of the PIE was 90km/h.

After the sentence was passed, Mr Rajendraprasad said that Erh wishes to appeal against the jail time. The judge then increased his bail by S$5,000 to S$15,000, pending the appeal to the High Court.

For causing grievous hurt by driving without due care and attention, Erh could have been jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or punished with both.