Former actor Edmund Chen gets five-day jail term cut to one day on appeal

Chen, a 64-year-old Singaporean, had pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle without reasonable consideration for other road users, resulting in grievous hurt.

THE CASE

He had driven along Ayer Rajah Expressway towards the direction of Central Expressway at about noon on Mar 4, 2025.

He was on lane 4 of the four-lane road and intended to drive towards an expressway via lanes 1 and 2 but did not move into the correct lanes in time.

By the time he realised this, he was already headed towards a split road leading to Keppel Road.

He tried to enter the second lane by braking abruptly such that his car slowed down and almost came to a complete stop.

The victim, a 21-year-old motorcyclist, was in the fourth lane behind Chen. He was unable to swerve to avoid Chen’s car and collided with the rear left portion of the vehicle.

When the collision occurred, Chen was filtering across the third lane and across the white chevron markings, which is a breach of traffic regulations. After the accident, he stopped his car and helped the victim, who was taken to hospital.

As a result of the accident, the motorcyclist’s front headlamp was dislodged and cracked, and the right side of his motorcycle was also scratched.

The victim sustained multiple fractures in his right hand and wrist and underwent surgery. He was given 99 days’ hospitalisation leave but suffered no permanent injury.

For driving without due consideration for other road users, resulting in grievous hurt, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.