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E-scooter rider jailed and fined for riding against traffic into woman, who fell and fractured her skull

E-scooter rider jailed and fined for riding against traffic into woman, who fell and fractured her skull

Google Street View of Selegie Road outside Wilkie Edge.

SINGAPORE: A man on his way to sell an unregistered electric scooter rode the device against traffic on the road, colliding into a 24-year-old woman who fell and fractured her skull.

Chen Yue, 61, was jailed for six weeks and fined S$500 on Friday (Aug 21) for causing grievous hurt by a rash act and riding an unregistered personal mobility device (PMD).

A third charge of riding a PMD on a road was taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that Chen had bought the device in September 2019 and although he knew he had to register it, he did not do so as he had intended to sell the e-scooter.

On Oct 23 last year, Chen rode the device from Kinta Road towards Dhoby Ghaut MRT to meet a potential buyer.

He rode the e-scooter on the footpath along Selegie Road until he reached Selegie Court. 

READ: 10 arrested for dangerous riding after police probe video of PMD, e-bike riders on Sheares Avenue

At about 4.10pm, he decided to take the device off the footpath, as there were many pedestrians, and onto the road.

Chen rode his device against the flow of traffic at about 15kmh, and had an unobstructed view of the footpath of his right, but he failed to spot the victim standing in front of Wilkie Edge mall.

The victim, a 24-year-old woman, waited for the traffic to clear before crossing the road. When she stepped off the footpath onto the road, Chen rode his e-scooter directly into her, in a collision captured on closed-circuit television.

The woman fell and Chen, feeling an impact on his right arm, stopped his e-scooter and looked back.

He saw the victim lying face down on the road, bleeding from her mouth and face, and carried her onto the footpath. 

A crowd of pedestrians gathered and one of them called for an ambulance. Chen stayed until the police arrived.

THE VICTIM'S MULTIPLE INJURIES

The victim was taken to the hospital with injuries including a fractured skull, lacerations on her lips and a blood clot between her skull and her brain.

She was given physiotherapy and occupational therapy, and discharged a few days later with 31 days' hospitalisation leave.

However, she continues to experience occasional giddiness and has a scar above her lips from the collision. Her teeth have also grown loose because of the impact.

She intends to seek physiotherapy and acupuncture to aid in her recovery. Her medical fees were fully covered by insurance, and Chen made voluntary compensation of S$8,000 to her in May this year.

The prosecutor had asked for at least six weeks' jail and a fine, saying the victim had suffered a serious head injury, and a potentially life-threatening skull fracture.

"The fact that she continues to experience occasional giddiness and intends to seek further treatment after COVID-19 speaks to lingering consequences of the collision on her life," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Teo.

Chen demonstrated "a high level of rashness" by riding his e-scooter against traffic when there was moderate traffic flow and pedestrians on the footpath, she added.

However, she considered Chen's lack of previous convictions and his voluntary compensation to the victim. There was also no evidence that he had been speeding on the footpath.

READ: Footpath ban for all motorised PMDs from April; minimum age requirement and online theory test to follow

For a rash act causing grievous hurt, Chen could have been jailed for up to four years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

For riding an unregistered PMD on a footpath, he could have been jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$2,000, or both.

Source: CNA/ll(ta)

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