Lua Miang Chuee, 54 was fined $1000 and banned for driving for 6 months for causing death to male pededtrian Ng Kim Hock, 83 years-old at along Jurong West Avenue 1.
A taxi driver drove without due care and attention, resulting in a fatal collision with an elderly pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing.
Lua Miang Chuee, 54, was on Wednesday (Dec 14) given the maximum fine of $1000 and banned from driving for six months for the offence along Jurong West Avenue 1 on June 1, 2015. He had failed to keep a proper lookout while driving and his taxi hit Mr Ng Kim Hock, 82, who was crossing a signalised pedestrian crossing.
The court heard that Lua was driving on the right of the two-lane Jurong West Avenue 1 that day when he began to slow down as the traffic signal was red at the signalised pedestrian crossing.
When he was 50m to 55m away from the junction, the traffic signals turned green for him and he decided to accelerate.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Puvaneswari Sandirasekaran said that seeing that the traffic light was in his favour, Lua took his eyes off the road to look at his mobile phone. He scrolled through his GrabTaxi application on his phone, which was docked on a holder.
He failed to keep a proper lookout for Mr Ng, who was crossing, and hit him.
Lua stopped after the accident and rendered assistance to Mr Ng, who suffered multiple severe injuries. Mr Ng died in hospital about an hour later.
A motorist’s in-car camera footage showed that when Mr Ng had crossed the first half of the road, the traffic lights changed in favour of the drivers on both directions of the carriageway.
Despite this, vehicles remained stationary at the stop line to allow Mr Ng to finish his crossing on a red-man signal.
The footage showed that the traffic lights were in Lua’s favour when his vehicle hit Mr Ng. Mr Ng did not stop at the centre divider when the lights changed against him but chose to continue to cross the road.
Lua’s lawyer James Ow Yong said his client, who had been a cabby for 15 years, was traumatised by the accident and very remorseful for the loss of life. He said that Lua had been receiving counselling and guidance at a church since June 2015.
Related story: Traffic Police say one motorcyclist in an accident every two hours
Related story: Traffic Police clarifies what constitutes handphone driving
