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Van driver fined S$2,000 for injuring repairman after turning on engine, failing to engage handbrake

SINGAPORE — In an attempt to check if the rear brake lights of his van were working after a repair job, Goh Swee Woo mistakenly turned the engine on after failing to ensure that the handbrake was engaged.

Goh Swee Woo arriving at the State Courts on Feb 24, 2022.
Goh Swee Woo arriving at the State Courts on Feb 24, 2022.
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SINGAPORE — In an attempt to check if the rear brake lights of his van were working after a repair job, Goh Swee Woo mistakenly turned the engine on after failing to ensure that the handbrake was engaged.

He ended up reversing the van towards a repairman, who fell and suffered injuries including a burst fracture to the spine. The vehicle did not hit or run over the victim.

Goh, 65, was fined S$2,000 on Thursday (Feb 24) after pleading guilty to causing hurt to Mr Koh Beng Oon, 64, by a negligent act.

The court heard that Goh, along with his wife, had gone to a workshop along Ubi Road 1 on Nov 1, 2019 to repair his van’s electric wire for its rear brake lights.

They waited at the workshop since the repair job would take only 30 minutes. Goh’s wife remained in the front passenger seat while Goh stood outside to watch Mr Koh handle the repairs.

When Mr Koh completed the task, he wanted to check if the rear brake lights were working. To that end, he told Goh to put the van in reverse gear and turn the ignition key halfway.

Goh then opened the driver’s side door to do so, but failed to check if the handbrake was engaged. He put the van in reverse gear while standing outside the vehicle, and turned the ignition key fully instead of halfway as instructed.

The van then began to move backwards, which caught Goh by surprise. He tried to move away and pushed against the van with his hand, but it picked up speed and moved towards Mr Koh who fell to the ground.

The court heard that the van did not hit or run over Mr Koh, and came to a stop when it hit a parked car.

Due to the fall, Mr Koh had difficulty getting to his feet. He called his wife to tell her what had happened, while neither Goh nor his wife helped him.

Mr Koh’s son-in-law then took him to Changi General Hospital where he was admitted for back and shoulder pain. He was diagnosed with a burst fracture of the spine, which is when the vertebra beaks in multiple directions, as well as a rotator cuff tear.

He was discharged after four days in hospital.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Huo Jiongrui asked for a fine of S$2,000 to S$2,500, noting that Goh cannot be given a disqualification period as a driver given that he was not “driving” the van at the time.

The prosecutor also said that he would not be seeking a compensation order because Mr Koh has taken legal advice and will be pursuing a civil claim against Goh.

Goh’s lawyer asked for a S$2,000 fine, explaining that this meant his criminal record could be rendered spent after some time instead of being permanent.

Goh could have been jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$2,500, or punished with both.

Related topics

court crime negligent act negligent brake

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