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Driver jailed for accident that injured 22 passengers sitting in the back of his lorry

Driver jailed for accident that injured 22 passengers sitting in the back of his lorry

Pictures circulating on WhatsApp showed the aftermath of the accident that took place on Jurong Island Highway on Wednesday (Jan 9) morning.

SINGAPORE: A 67-year-old man behind the wheel in an accident that injured 22 of his lorry passengers was on Tuesday (Sep 17) sentenced to three weeks' jail and banned from driving for two years.

Loo Teck Choon pleaded guilty to one charge of causing grievous hurt to four of his passengers by a negligent act and another of causing hurt to 19 other people by a negligent act.

He had been driving the lorry along Jurong Island Highway towards Seraya Avenue at about 7.30pm on Jan 9 this year, when he did not keep a proper look-out while changing lanes.

READ: Lorry driver arrested, 23 people taken to hospital in Jurong Island Highway accident

READ: Workers in Jurong Island Highway accident mostly discharged, lorry driver suspended

He side-swiped a bus driving in the lane next to his and collided into the back of another bus, grievously hurting four of his passengers and injuring 18 others.

Another man, who was boarding the bus in front of him, was injured as well.

The court heard that Loo was driving the lorry at a speed of between 60kmh and 70kmh, and did not slow down as he approached the back of the stationary bus in front of him.

He then tried to change lanes, but instead swiped the rear left portion of another bus next to him, before colliding head-first into the bus in front.

The force of the accident dented both buses involved and crumpled the front of the lorry, shattering its windscreen and left passenger window.

The four seriously hurt lorry passengers suffered fractures including of their ribs and hip, and one of them sustained permanent surgical scars.

Screengrab of social media footage showing the aftermath of the Jurong Island Highway accident on Wednesday (Jan 9) morning.

The other 19 victims, including 18 other lorry passengers and one man boarding the bus in the front, suffered injuries such as abrasion, bruises and tenderness.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chin Jincheng pointed out that Loo had been fined multiple times for traffic offences including speeding in 1990, careless driving in 2011 and 2017, and speeding again last year.

Loo, who walked slowly into the dock and spoke softly, told the court through a Mandarin interpreter that he had nothing to add, and did not drive anymore even though he had previously driven for six years.

For causing grievous hurt by a negligent act, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined a maximum S$5,000, or both.

The maximum penalty for causing hurt by a negligent act is a six-month jail term, S$2,500 fine or both.

Source: CNA/ll(hs)

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