Drunk golfer backed car into bus, jailed and banned from driving for life

SINGAPORE: After playing golf at Orchid Country Club, a man drank alcohol with friends for more than two hours at a nearby eatery.

Quah Soon Hoe decided to drive home after drinking, but along the way, backed his car into a bus along Sembawang Road.

The results of his breath analyser test that night exceeded the limit of 35 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath by more than three times.

Quah, 61, was on Wednesday (Mar 23) handed a lifetime driving ban and jailed five months and one week over the 2021 incident. He was also fined S$25,000.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol, driving without care and using insulting words on a police officer. Two other charges were considered for sentencing.

On Apr 20 last year, Quah and his friends went drinking at an eatery close to the Orchid Country Club golf range near Lower Seletar Reservoir from about 7.30pm.

Quah left the eatery in his car around 9.45pm. The court heard that he planned to drive about 6km to his home at Jalan Kemuning in Sembawang.

Around 10.50pm, police received a report that Quah's red car had stopped at the bus stop opposite Chong Pang Camp along Sembawang Road and was not moving.

When police officers arrived around 11pm, they found the rear bumper of the car had collided into the front of the bus. They also saw Quah inside the car with his head down and eyes closed.

Investigations showed that at about 10.50pm, Quah was driving along the bus stop. The bus had stopped behind his car to let passengers alight, when Quah reversed his car into the other vehicle.

The bus sustained scratches and dents. There were no injuries, but the collision resulted in more than S$5,200 worth of costs incurred by the Land Transport Authority, which have since been paid by Quah.

Quah reeked of alcohol and was in a daze with incoherent speech when asked to step out of the car. When a police sergeant asked for his particulars, he used a vulgarity towards the officer.

When another officer later approached to interview Quah about a suspected drunk-driving offence, he swore again and was uncooperative, denying that he had had any drinks.

As Quah reeked of alcohol, he was taken to a police station where he failed the breath analyser test at about 1.40am.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Gladys Lim sought a lifetime driving ban as well as at least six months' jail and a S$25,000 fine.

She noted that Quah had a "vast array" of previous driving offences, indicating a disregard for the safety of others. His last drunk-driving related offence was in 2002, when he refused to take a breath analyser test.

She also pointed out that Quah had intended to travel a distance of about 6km while drunk, and had actually travelled almost 5km until the point of the bus collision.

She said there were no extenuating reasons for him to be driving while intoxicated, as he was merely returning home. 

Defence lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya told the court that his client had written a letter of apology to the police officers he insulted, and made full restitution for the damage to the bus.

In sentencing, District Judge Kok Shu En said that while Quah's last drunk-driving related offence was in 2002, she could not ignore that this was his fourth time appearing in court for such offences.