Mercedes driver who went against traffic at high speed on AYE admits causing man’s death, injuring 4 others

SINGAPORE — While taking his son to his first day of work in December 2016, Lim Chai Heng drove in an increasingly wild fashion all the way to Tuas Checkpoint even though his son’s workplace was at Depot Road. 

Lim drove into the motorcycle lane at the checkpoint until it became too narrow for his Mercedes to pass through.

He then turned around and drove against the flow of traffic on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) at high speed for almost 2km.

After almost crashing into several vehicles, he collided head-on with actor Liong Kuo Hwa’s car. The impact killed Liong, 38, and grievously injured his wife, Ms Venny Oliver.  

Lim also veered and collided into a scooter, flinging Mr Teh Tze Yong and Ms Choo Yat Chiam onto the road. 

His rash driving spree finally came to an end when he collided with the expressway wall shortly after.

On Monday (Oct 14) in the High Court, the 56-year-old former businessman pleaded guilty to one charge of causing Liong’s death by a rash act not amounting to culpable homicide. 

Judicial Commissioner Vincent Hoong adjourned sentencing to a later date, which has yet to be determined.

Four other charges of causing hurt and grievous hurt to four others — Ms Oliver, Mr Teh, Ms Choo and another driver, Mr Tan Han Boon — will be taken into consideration for sentencing.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kumaresan Gohulabalan told the court that Lim suffered from acute psychosis at the time, which significantly impaired his judgment and led him to discount the risks associated with his actions.

DID NOT LISTEN TO HIS SON

The court heard that on the morning of Dec 19, 2016, Lim intended to take his son to work at the Central Manpower Base at Depot Road. They left their Hougang home at about 7.30am.

After driving for some time along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards the AYE, the younger Lim asked his father why he did not exit at Braddell Road to avoid paying ERP fees. 

Lim replied: “Do not be afraid, I know the way.”

However, Lim did not exit the CTE at the Jalan Bukit Merah exit, which was closest to their destination. 

He continued driving on the CTE, which led to the AYE, and refused to listen to his son’s repeated requests to exit at various points along the way, claiming that his son did not trust him.

After passing 14 exits for about 23km, he reached the end of the expressway at Tuas Checkpoint.

ACCELERATED TO UP TO 147 KM/H

At about 8am, Lim drove into the motorcycle lane at Tuas Checkpoint till he was forced to stop. When his son said that they would not be able to drive further, Lim replied that he believed he could pass through but did not move further for about two minutes.

He then reversed his car, carefully made a three-point turn and drove back against the flow of traffic on the motorcycle lane.

After merging into the car lane and continuing on the viaduct leading to the AYE, two other vehicles narrowly avoided him. He also braked once in response to oncoming traffic.

When he entered the AYE, he accelerated to up to 147 km/h and continued driving against traffic. 

Mr Tan swerved to avoid colliding into him and crashed his Mazda into a bus before hitting the concrete wall of the expressway.

Liong, who was driving a Toyota Vios directly behind Mr Tan, then collided into Lim’s car and slammed into the wall as well.

After this, Lim collided head-on with Mr Teh’s scooter before coming to a halt. 

Liong was pronounced dead at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident. His wife, Ms Oliver, suffered jaw and rib fractures and was given almost two months of hospitalisation leave.

Meanwhile, Mr Teh and Ms Choo — both 37-year-old Malaysians — went through surgery for several fractures while Mr Tan, 37, suffered superficial abrasions. 

Mr Teh’s right ring finger was also amputated.

Mr Teh and Ms Choo received a S$530,000 settlement from Lim last year after suing him for negligence.

Mr Teh’s scooter, Mr Tan’s car and Lim’s car were scrapped. 

The bus was repaired at a cost of S$27,732 and the damaged wall cladding on the AYE was repaired for S$1,304.

CAUSE OF ACUTE PSYCHOSIS UNCLEAR 

Dr Jerome Goh, a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health, examined Lim on four occasions in January 2017 and stated that he had acute psychosis at the time but that its underlying cause remained unclear.

Lim also told Dr Goh that when he saw cars and motorcycles coming towards him, he thought to himself “surely accident already (sic)” and “knew finished already (sic)”.

DPPs Kumaresan and Andre Chong asked for at least two years’ jail and a 12-year driving ban for Lim, saying that but for Lim’s mental condition, the case would be “close to the most serious of its kind”.

While the case would normally have attracted a sentence close to the maximum five years’ jail, prosecutors sought a lower sentence due to Lim’s impaired judgment.

Nevertheless, DPP Kumaresan argued that Lim was still able to make rational decisions such as slowing down when he approached a speed camera and changing lanes to continue driving at a high speed.

In mitigation, Lim’s lawyer Yusfiyanto Yatiman stressed that the significance of his client’s mental condition “cannot be underplayed or over-emphasised”.

Mr Yusfiyanto told the court that the interactions Lim had with his former colleagues and family members leading up to that day, on the day itself and after showed that his psychosis was “manifesting itself slowly” and was “not like a switch turning on and off”.

The lawyer, who asked for five to seven months’ jail and an eight-year driving ban, urged Judicial Commissioner Hoong to look at the broader picture, despite the prosecution highlighting that Lim was aware of the nature of his actions and was not of unsound mind.