Driver who sped into cab in collision that killed NUS undergrad Kathy Ong gets fine and driving ban
Ms Kathy Ong was thrown partially out of a window after the taxi she was in collided with another vehicle. (Photos: Facebook/Roads.sg, Kathy Ong's family)
SINGAPORE: A driver who sped into a cab that was turning right, in a collision that killed a National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduate and injured three others, has been fined S$5,000 and banned from driving for two years.
Ng Li Ning, 24, was given the sentence in a district court last Friday (Nov 27), after attending several pre-trial conferences. This was after his co-accused, a taxi driver, was sentenced in August 2019.
The penalties for one charge of dangerous driving at a speed of 83kmh to 92kmh came after Ng was sued by one of the surviving passengers and assigned 35 per cent liability for his role.
Damages have yet to be decided.
READ: Surviving passenger in car crash that killed fellow NUS undergraduate sues cabby, driver over negligence
The victims, Ms Kathy Ong, Mr Ting Jun Heng, Mr Zon Lim and Mr Lim Jin Jie, had taken co-accused Yap Kok Hua's taxi and were on their way to NUS' Tembusu College on the night of Apr 19 two years ago.
Yap did not ensure that his student passengers put on their seat belts before driving off. Ms Ong was 19 years old at that time and the rest were 22.
When he came to the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Road at around 7.30pm that day, Yap took a discretionary right turn.
Ng, who was 21 at the time, was approaching from the other direction and going straight, with the right of way, court documents said.
Ng was travelling above the speed limit of 70kmh, and collided into Yap's cab. Both vehicles spun and were severely damaged, and the cab hit another stationary car at the junction.
A Health Sciences Authority report later estimated Ng's speed to be between 92kmh and 97kmh a fraction of a second before the collision.
A second report estimated the speed of Ng's car to be between 83kmh and 84kmh 0.6 seconds before the collision.
Ms Ong was taken to hospital but pronounced dead on same day. Her friends suffered injuries including a spine fracture, traumatic brain injury and cuts with glass in their wounds.
READ: Kathy was a ‘people person’, loved by many: Family, friends of NUS undergrad who died in Clementi taxi accident
Mr Ting, who was seated in the back of the cab, was taken to hospital with traumatic brain injuries, fractured ribs, multiple pelvic bone fractures and a kidney laceration. He was in a vegetative state at first and hospitalised for more than 50 days.
His studies were deferred and he received extensive rehabilitative treatment, and suffered medical complications.
READ: Judge finds cabby 65% liable in car crash that killed NUS undergraduate, in civil suit by surviving passenger
In June, he took to the High Court to sue Ng and Yap for negligence, but the case has yet to be concluded.
Yap was given eight weeks' jail and a five-year driving ban in August 2019 after pleading guilty to a charge of a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, and a second of causing grievous hurt to the surviving three passengers.
The High Court judge presiding over Mr Ting's suit against Ng and Yap found that Ng had failed to keep a proper lookout and failed to drive with proper care at the junction.
"Having the right of way essentially means that other users should yield or give way," said Justice Aedit Abdullah in his findings in October.
"But, having the right of way does not absolve that particular road user of the need to exercise due care.
"All driving occurs, particularly in urban Singapore, within an environment where there are risks to be managed, and dangers to be aware of. Even a road user with lights in his or her favour must still ensure that a proper lookout is kept, and enough reaction time worked in so that accidents can be avoided with some reasonable effort."
The penalties for dangerous driving are a maximum year's jail and a fine of up to S$5,000 for the first offence. Repeat offenders face double both those penalties.
