NUS professor who drove Maserati against traffic given maximum fine, driving ban
Professor Henry Yeung of the National University of Singapore was fined S$5,000 for dangerous driving on Monday (Nov 26). (Photo: NUS)
SINGAPORE: A National University of Singapore (NUS) professor who drove his Maserati against traffic was on Monday (Nov 26) given the maximum fine of S$5,000 and banned from driving.
Henry Yeung Wai Chung, whose brief biography on the NUS website says he is a professor in the Department of Geography, pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving.
District Judge Lorraine Ho banned Yeung, 50, from driving for 13 months.
READ:Â Maserati driver arrested after speeding, driving against traffic in Lorong Chuan
The court heard that Yeung was travelling on the right lane of a two-lane road along Lorong Chuan towards Braddell Road, at about 1.15pm on Sep 7 this year.
A white car in front of him began changing lane to the left, but instead of waiting for the vehicle to finish doing so, Yeung overtook it on the right.
To do so, he crossed the single continuous white line and drove into oncoming traffic on the opposite lane before manoeuvring back to the correct side of the road ahead of the white car.
After this, Yeung came to a section of Lorong Chuan where the road became a three-lane road.
READ:Â Maserati driver who drove against traffic to be chargedÂ
Lorry driver Sim Chin Huat, 59, was driving ahead of Yeung on the leftmost lane of the road, in a sequence captured in a viral video.
Mr Sim was changing lanes to go to the centre lane, where Yeung was travelling.
Yeung drove at a fast speed to try to overtake Mr Sim on the right, mounting the kerb of the centre divider and going into the lanes for vehicles travelling in the opposite direction.
"At that point in time, there was a taxi travelling in the opposite direction," said the prosecutor. "Fortunately, there was no collision."
Yeung drove against the flow of traffic, crossing the double continuous white lines before stopping his car in front of Mr Sim's lorry.
Yeung damaged the front left portion and front left wheel of his car by mounting the kerb.
For dangerous driving, Yeung could have been jailed for up to 12 months, on top of a fine.
In response to media queries, NUS said that it expects all members of its community to conduct themselves in accordance with the law.
"NUS is reviewing the court’s decision and will decide on whether disciplinary proceedings will be taken against Professor Henry Yeung," an NUS spokesperson said.
