Driver who crashed into lorry ferrying migrant workers while speeding at up to 160kmh gets jail
Nine of the victims who suffered severe injuries were migrant workers riding in the back of a lorry.
by Davina Tham · CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to 27 months' jail on Monday (Dec 22) for driving at speeds of up to double the speed limit and crashing into a lorry ferrying migrant workers .
Tan Wei Feng, 33, was also banned from driving for the minimally required period of eight years.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving that caused grievous hurt to nine victims. All of them were migrant workers riding in the back of a lorry.
Another charge of dangerous driving that caused less severe injuries to three victims – two migrant workers in the driver's and passenger's seat of the lorry, and a passenger in Tan's car – was considered for sentencing.
The accident happened along the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway on Jul 19, 2023 at about 7.45am. The weather was fine and the road was dry at the time.
An eyewitness on a motorcycle behind the lorry saw Tan's car swerve from the third lane towards the first lane behind him.
Tan's car then overtook the motorcycle, drove at high speed between the first and second lane and hit the right rear of the lorry.
As a result, the lorry, which was driving in the first lane, spun and hit the side barriers of the road and flipped onto its side.
Some of the victims who were seated in the back of the lorry were thrown out of the vehicle.
The Health Sciences Authority's speed analysis estimated that Tan was driving at speeds of between 130kmh and 160kmh at the time of the collision.
The speed limit of the road was 80kmh. The lorry was travelling within the speed limit.
Nine migrant workers from India aged 23 to 41 were seriously hurt in the accident, with four requiring surgery.
The nine workers suffered various injuries including head injuries, brain haemorrhages and spine, skull, facial, eye and rib fractures.
They were warded for two to nine days and given 12 to 59 days of hospitalisation leave.
Three more victims suffered less severe injuries. The 44-year-old driver of the lorry had jaw and shoulder bruises, and the 37-year-old migrant worker in the front passenger seat had a neck sprain and bruises.
The remaining victim was the 26-year-old passenger in Tan's rented car. She suffered cuts and bruises and mild hearing loss.
The lorry ferrying the migrant workers was badly damaged, with the cost of repairs and losses totalling more than S$36,000 (US$28,000).
Tan's car was disposed of by the rental company as it was beyond repair. Losses were estimated at S$8,000.
Tan has not made restitution, and his lawyer from the Public Defender's Office told the court that he was not in a financial position to compensate the victims.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mavis Ng urged the court to sentence Tan to 26 to 30 months' jail and the minimum eight-year driving ban.
She noted that a total of 12 victims were hurt in the accident, and nine of them suffered grievous hurt to vulnerable body parts.
She also pointed out Tan's "excessively high" speed at the time of the crash.
Tan's defence lawyer asked for 26 months' jail and the eight-year driving ban, emphasising that he was not sleepy nor driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time.
She also argued that Tan, who is a caregiver for his elderly mother, has potential for rehabilitation.
Tan previously drove without due care and attention in 2023 and caused hurt by driving without reasonable consideration in 2022.
These offences were compounded, meaning that they were settled out of court, typically by paying a small monetary sum, without resulting in a conviction.
Tan could have been jailed for between one and five years for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt.
The practice of transporting migrant workers to and from work sites in the backs of lorries is a perennial issue that has been raised in parliament as early as 2010.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app