Maid in case of 4-year-old girl who died in River Valley car accident goes on trial

SINGAPORE: A domestic helper who was taking a four-year-old girl home when a car ran over the girl in a fatal accident in River Valley went on trial on Wednesday (Oct 15).

Lilyana Eva, a 33-year-old Indonesian national, is contesting a charge of committing a negligent act endangering the girl's life.

This was for allowing the girl, whose name is protected by a newly imposed gag order, to cross a road along Institution Hill without holding onto her.

As a result, the child ran across the bi-directional dual lane carriageway and was hit by an oncoming car driven by a 40-year-old Australian woman. The driver has not been charged over the incident.

According to an earlier coroner's inquiry, Lilyana had gone to fetch the victim and her younger sister from their preschool on the afternoon of Jan 23, 2024.

As they walked home, Lilyana carried both girls' school bags and held on to the hand of the victim's younger sister. She said in the coroner's inquiry that she was not using any device.

As the trio walked upslope along Institution Hill, they decided to cross the road.

After crossing the first lane, the victim began running across to get to the pavement on the other side.

Lilyana was three steps away from her when a car collided with the victim in the second lane, running over her leg and head, the inquiry previously heard.

She died in hospital that day.

At the coroner's inquiry, the traffic police said the driver was not going at a fast speed and that the girl had appeared in in-vehicle footage for only one second before the collision occurred.

At 100cm tall, the girl was too short to be seen by the driver, the inquiry revealed.

The trial opened before District Judge Ong Luan Tze after an extensive discussion on Wednesday morning about a gag order sought by the prosecution.

The judge later imposed a detailed gag order that covers the identities of the victim, her parents and siblings, their home address and their preschool. However, the gag order does not extend to Lilyana or the road where the accident occurred.

The prosecution's first witness, forensic pathologist Wu Jia Hao, testified about the extensive injuries the victim suffered from the car accident.

She died of a "head injury", which Mr Wu explained referred to several blunt force injuries, which indicate a compressive force being applied to her head, causing a group of injuries which he classified as a "head injury".

Among her injuries, the victim suffered multiple fractures to her skull and face.

The trial was adjourned to a later date in November after Mr Wu's brief testimony.

Lilyana is being defended by Mr Alfred Dodwell and Ms Lolita Andrew. She was accompanied by supporters from non-governmental organisation Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME).

She has been staying at HOME's shelter since she was charged. She is no longer employed by the victim's parents.

If convicted of committing a negligent act endangering life, she could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$1,500, or both.