SINGAPORE – While driving along Toa Payoh Lorong 1, a van driver failed to notice a 91-year-old pedestrian crossing the road and his vehicle collided with the elderly man.
The victim, who was using a walking stick, was flung into the air and landed on the road. He suffered brain injuries and was left in a vegetative state after the accident.
The 75-year-old driver, Ng Lian Phui, was sentenced to five months’ jail on July 31. He pleaded guilty to one count of driving without due care and attention, causing grievous hurt.
He will also be disqualified from driving for six years after his release from prison.
Court documents stated that the victim and his wife were on their way to her physiotherapy class at Block 131 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 on December 27, 2024.
To get to the block, they had to use a kerbless crossing. As they crossed the road, the victim was trailing behind his wife.
Ng, who was driving along the same road, failed to keep a proper lookout and did not see the elderly man until about six seconds after he entered the road, resulting in the collision.
An accident reconstruction report indicated that Ng’s perception-response time (PRT) was at least between 5.9 to six seconds, longer than a typical driver’s range of 1.3 to 2.2 seconds.
Said Deputy Public Prosecutor Johan Tay: “The (report) indicated that if the accused had the typical PRT of between 1.3 seconds and 2.2 seconds, and if the van had been travelling at the road speed limit of 50kmh by which time the victim had already entered the road, the accused would have been able to stop the van to avoid a collision with the victim.”
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