Lorry driver gets jail and driving ban for colliding with 52-year-old woman, who later died

SINGAPORE: A lorry driver was sentenced on Friday (Feb 11) to jail and banned from driving after he collided with a 52-year-old woman who was crossing the road. The woman later died of her injuries.

Gan Lian Min, 70, was given four months' jail and an eight-year driving ban. He pleaded guilty to one count of driving without due care and attention, by failing to keep a proper lookout for pedestrians before turning right.

Ms Or Cheng Khim was on her way home with sushi to celebrate her son's O-Level results when the collision occurred.

The court heard that Gan was driving his lorry along Yuan Ching Road at about 8.30pm on Jan 12 last year. 

As he approached the non-signalised T-junction of Yuan Ching Road and Yung Kuang Road, he slowed down, but did not stop.

After ascertaining that there were no oncoming vehicles, he turned right from Yuan Ching Road onto Yung Kuang Road. It was raining at the time.

Ms Or was walking across Yung Kuang Road at the same time, from Gan's left to right. Gan failed to notice her and the front left portion of his lorry hit her.

Gan stopped his lorry, alighted and helped the woman before calling the police. Ms Or suffered a cardiac arrest after the collision and was admitted to the intensive care unit at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital after resuscitation.

She also suffered multiple injuries, including a fracture of the occipital bone, which forms the back and base of the skull. She was pronounced dead a few days later.

Her death drew condolences from members of the public, with former MP Amrin Amin paying respects to her at her wake. According to his Facebook post on Jan 20 last year, Ms Or donated her kidney, liver and corneas.

Gan's lawyer, Clarence Lun of Fervent Chambers, urged the court for leniency, asking for six weeks' jail and an eight-year driving ban. 

He said his client was relatively advanced in age but continued to work diligently. He was a delivery driver at the time of the offence, working from 9.30am to 6.30pm and working overtime occasionally.

He suffers multiple illnesses, including diabetes, glaucoma, hypertension and coronary heart disease, said Mr Lun.

He added that his client was shocked to see Ms Or lying on the road, but immediately approached her and tried calling out to her.

"In his state of shock and panic, he nevertheless called for the police immediately. Pedestrians nearby had helped to call for an ambulance and attend to the victim and CPR was performed on the victim by a pedestrian," he said.

Mr Lun said his client is deeply remorseful, attending the victim's funeral wake with his family and apologising to them. 

"The victim's family have since forgiven him and even told him to put the incident behind him, and that it was an accident," said Mr Lun, adding that this offence and its repercussions will scar Gan for life.

For driving without due care and attention, he could have been jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.