Sleepy driver who killed pedestrian jailed 3 months, banned from driving for 5 years
SINGAPORE — A 28-year-old student who killed a pedestrian after getting behind the wheel despite not sleeping for more than 20 hours was sentenced to three months’ jail and disqualified from driving for five years on Monday (May 21).
SINGAPORE — A 28-year-old student who killed a pedestrian after getting behind the wheel despite not sleeping for more than 20 hours was sentenced to three months' jail and disqualified from driving for five years on Monday (May 21).
Student Galistan Aidan Glyn caused the death of 41-year-old civil servant Serene Ng, who was standing on the kerb, when his car mounted the kerb on Aug 25 last year.
On May 11, the Singaporean pleaded guilty to causing death by a negligent act. He admitted to feeling sleepy and tired prior to the accident as he had stayed up all night.
During sentencing on Monday, Galistan apologised to the deceased's father, brother and sister-in-law, who were present.
Refusing to accept the apology made in front of the judge, the deceased's brother Ng Chin Khoon told reporters at the close of the case that he wanted a harsher sentence for Galistan, and is looking into possible further legal action.
The 48-year-old Cisco enforcement officer, who changed his work schedule so he could attend the hearing, wanted Galistan to be disqualified from driving for life.
"If you (Galistan) knew you are not in the condition to operate a vehicle, why did you operate? Your car becomes a killing weapon!" he said, adding: "This mistake can't be repeated again."
He told reporters his sister Serene Ng, who was working at the Defence Ministry, had taken leave from work to do some social work in Hougang. But she died after getting knocked down by Galistan at about 8.10am at Jurong West Street 42.
The court heard that, the night before the incident, Galistan had spent the night with a few friends, and had gone to a friend's house at Seletar for breakfast at about 6.45am. Court documents did not state what Galistan was doing with his friends.
The accident happened as he was about to reach his parents' home at Jurong West Street 42, after driving two friends to their respective homes at Seletar and Stevens Road.
Failing to keep a proper lookout and maintain proper control of his car, Galistan's car — a silver Toyota Corolla Altis — suddenly swerved from the left to the right, colliding into Ng, who had just finished crossing the road and was standing on the grass patch next to the kerb.
The impact flung Ng into the air. She was taken to Ng Teng Fong Hospital unconscious, and was pronounced dead at 9.44am after succumbing to head and chest injuries.
The bonnet of Galistan's car was badly dented and its windscreen was smashed during the accident.
Although Galistan attended Ng's wake to apologise to her family, he was confronted by her brother, who asked him why there were no brake marks on the site of the accident.
Insisting that it is a point that should be raised in court on Monday, Mr Ng told reporters that the brake marks would have indicated that Galistan stepped on the brakes to avoid causing further harm in reaction to seeing that he had hit somebody.
"The impact could have been (lessened by) at least 50 per cent, and it would not have been a life or death case," he said.
He also told reporters that he would be speaking to the case's inspection officer and a lawyer to see how he could go about getting a harsher sentence for Galistan for causing his sister's death.
Noting that the accused had driven for a considerable distance and time while sleep deprived, Deputy Public Prosecutor Senthilkumaran Sabapathy said: "Notably, this is not an ordinary case of negligence on the road as the deceased had finished crossing the road, and had been on the kerb when the accident occurred.
"She was therefore already out of the range of traffic. Yet, the accused mounted the kerb and collided onto her with force, resulting in her death. This was an entirely preventable tragedy, and the needless loss of a life."
However, asked by Mr Ng if he will dispute the sentence, the DPP said the case had concluded and declined to comment further on the case. The jail term of three months and five years' disqualification was what he had asked for, going by the sentencing framework.
Reporters heard him telling Mr Ng that if he had more questions, he should contact the investigating officer for the case.
Galistan could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by a negligent act.