SPF: 17-year-old who drove at 174 kmh on ECP to be charged over multiple traffic offences, including dangerous driving and fake licence plates - Singapore News

SINGAPORE: A 17-year-old is set to face court after a police chase that ended with six vehicles damaged, two people injured, and a long list of alleged traffic offences spanning three separate incidents.

The teenager will be charged in court after allegedly driving at speeds of up to 174km/h on the East Coast Parkway (ECP), running red lights, crashing into multiple vehicles, and fleeing from police.

According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), the teenager is linked to three separate traffic-related incidents between January 2025 and January 2026.

He faces several charges, including dangerous driving causing hurt, driving while underage, using deregistered vehicles and displaying false licence plates. Investigators also say it wasn’t an isolated incident.

The police chase ended with six vehicles damaged

The most serious incident took place on Jan 16, 2026, at about 10.50 pm. SPF said Traffic Police officers were patrolling along Paya Lebar Road when the driver sped away after spotting them, triggering a pursuit.

Investigations found that the teenager allegedly drove at extreme speeds, reaching 174 km/h on the ECP, where the speed limit is 90 km/h.

Police said he also drove at 96km/h along Guillemard Road, where the speed limit is 40km/h. During the chase, he allegedly beat multiple red lights and drove against traffic along roads including Ubi Avenue 2 and Lorong 28 Geylang.

The pursuit ended after the vehicle collided with several stationary cars. Five vehicles were hit before the car crashed into a sixth vehicle at the junction of Marine Parade Road and Still Road South. The driver of that vehicle and his 15-year-old passenger suffered injuries. SPF said the teenager then ran off on foot after the crash, but was later arrested by Traffic Police officers.

Fake plates and deregistered vehicles

Investigations uncovered additional alleged offences. Police said the car used during the chase was a deregistered vehicle fitted with a false licence plate. Officers also found a vaporiser and a pod inside the vehicle. The Health Sciences Authority investigated the matter but took no further action due to insufficient evidence.

Singapore Police Force (SPF)
Deregistered vehicle driven by the male teenager in the Jan 16, 2026 incident

The teenager is accused of offences including driving without a valid licence, using an uninsured vehicle, failing to stop after accidents, failing to assist injured parties, ignoring police orders to stop and providing false information to authorities.

He took his grandmother’s car without her knowledge

The Jan 16 chase wasn’t the first time the teenager had allegedly been caught behind the wheel. In January 2025, he allegedly took his grandmother’s car without her knowledge after finding the ignition key inside the unlocked vehicle. Police said he drove the car for about an hour before returning it. His grandmother later reported the vehicle missing.

In another incident on Jan 8, 2026, police checks at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre carpark led officers to discover that he had allegedly driven a different deregistered vehicle fitted with a false licence plate from Haig Road to the area.

Both incidents have resulted in additional charges, including driving while underage, using uninsured vehicles, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and using deregistered vehicles.

Motorists who commit such serious traffic offences will face firm enforcement action

Singapore’s roads are heavily regulated, and cases involving underage drivers are relatively uncommon. What makes this case unusual is the combination of alleged offences across multiple incidents within a short period.

High-speed pursuits, fake licence plates and deregistered vehicles pose risks to drivers, passengers, pedestrians and other road users, who have no warning of the surrounding danger. SPF said motorists who commit such serious traffic offences, including not having valid licences or using deregistered vehicles, will face firm enforcement action.

The police also urged members of the public to report suspected illegal activity and reminded road users that keeping roads safe is a shared responsibility.

Driving is a responsibility, not a thrill

The allegations in this case read like a list of what road users are told never to do: speeding, ignoring traffic lights, driving without a licence and fleeing after crashes.

Most people reach home safely each day because everyone follows the same rules, but when these rules are ignored, innocent motorists end up paying the price. Cases like this are why road safety laws exist in the first place.

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