Jail, fine for driver with provisional licence involved in hit-and-run accident with motorcyclist

• Austin Toh En Zheng, 22, took over to drive a car when asked by a female acquaintance he just met at a pub
• He cut across three lanes without signalling along the Pan-Island Expressway and crashed into a motorcyclist
• He then fled and called the police hours later, lying that his father’s friend had been driving instead
• He was also dealt with in court over a Covid-19 safe-distancing breach

SINGAPORE — A 22-year-old man was jailed for eight weeks and fined S$8,100 on Wednesday (Sept 29) for multiple offences that included a serious hit-and-run accident involving a motorcyclist. 

Austin Toh En Zheng, who held a provisional driving licence at the time of the accident, has also been banned from driving for two years after his prison release. 

The seven charges he pleaded guilty to include two unrelated ones — possessing a weapon and violating Covid-19 safe distancing laws by meeting several people for drinks at a Serangoon commercial building last year.

He also admitted to dangerous driving, giving false information to a public servant, and failing to comply with the conditions of a provisional licence. 

The court heard that Toh, a Singaporean, had gone to his friend’s birthday celebration at a pub on the evening of April 5 last year.

He met Ms Ni Jianjian, a 44-year-old Singapore permanent resident from China, for the first time there. 

At 5am, one of his friends told Ms Ni to drive Toh home but while they were travelling to his home, she stopped at a slip road along Teck Whye Avenue towards Choa Chu Kang Road and told him that she wanted to rest. 

She asked him to drive instead. He agreed and took over the wheel. 

While driving along the Pan-Island Expressway in the direction of Changi Airport, he cut across three lanes without signalling and also drove across the double white continuous lines. 

As Toh was cutting across the lanes, he collided with Wong Siang Tee who was travelling on his motorcycle. 

The 56-year-old Malaysian was flung off his motorcycle as a result of the collision. 

Toh fled and drove to the Newton Road area where he tried to check into a hotel with Ms Ni.

Another driver stopped to help Mr Wong and called an ambulance. He was taken to the emergency department of National University Hospital where he was diagnosed with a wrist fracture, bruises and multiple abrasions, and was hospitalised for two days. 

Toh later found out from Ms Ni that the police were investigating the accident and was trying to distance himself from it, the court heard.

He called the police to say that his father’s friend was behind the wheel when the accident happened. He added that he was drunk and asleep in the passenger seat when “my dad’s friend” hit the other vehicle and did not stop. 

Toh also told the police: “I was told that the person is now in hospital and police are investigating. However, the driver told the police that I was the one who drove and that is not the case.” 

He then retracted his false statement one week later.

Separately, Toh received a message from his friend on the evening of Oct 18 last year asking Toh to visit his business at First Centre, located at 50 Serangoon North Avenue 4.

Upon learning that free alcohol would be served there, he went over with two friends. He noticed that there were more than 10 people there.

Under Covid-19 rules, only five people were allowed to gather for a social purpose at the time. 

A security officer then called the police and officers arrived shortly after midnight.

A few months later, police officers turned up at Toh’s home along Teck Whye Lane on suspicions that he was involved in illicit drug activities, but he was ultimately not charged with drug-related offences.

They then found a silver knuckleduster while searching his flat. He said that he had previously borrowed it from a friend to protect himself but never took it out of his home.

This led to the possession of a weapon charge.

Those convicted of causing hurt while driving dangerously can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$10,000, or punished with both.