Taxi driver, 73, gets jail, 8-year driving ban for fatally crashing into jaywalking pedestrian

SINGAPORE — A taxi driver was sentenced to 16 weeks’ jail and an eight-year driving ban on Friday (June 11) for fatally colliding into a pedestrian who was jaywalking.

Tan Lye Soo, 73, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Road Traffic Act of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users and causing the 68-year-old victim’s death.

The taxi driver of six years had been convicted of similar traffic-related offences, including speeding, in 1996 and 2006, the court heard.

He had started his shift at 6pm on Nov 26, 2019 and was slated to finish it at 6am the next day.

He took a break along Gangsa Road at 4am, then woke up at 4.45am and began heading to the Vicom inspection centre along Bukit Batok Street 23 in order to fill his petrol tank.

At about 5.20am, he was driving on the fourth lane along Bukit Batok East Avenue 6, towards the junction with Bukit Batok Avenue 3, when the victim crossed the street when the red man was showing.

Tan had the right of way but failed to keep a proper lookout. He did not notice the victim crossing from his right to left until it was too late for him to react.

After crashing into the victim, Tan came to a stop after the junction and got down to help him. With the help of other passers-by, Tan helped to turn the victim over onto his back.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Samyata Ravindran told the court that based on a Health Sciences Authority report, the victim would have been discernible about 10 seconds before the collision.

Around that point, Tan was about 113m from the pedestrian crossing, but reacted only 0.1 seconds before the collision.

The victim was taken in a conscious state to the National University Hospital, but fell unconscious on the way there. He had suffered a traumatic brain injury, pelvic fracture and open fracture of the left ankle.

Despite receiving treatment, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead four days after the accident.

Tan’s taxi was inspected afterwards and found to be in serviceable condition. There was little traffic and the weather was fine during the accident.

As a repeat offender, he could have been jailed for up to six years or fined up to S$20,000, or punished with both. Those convicted can also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least eight years.