An 85-year-old woman has been fined S$4,000 after making an illegal turn against the flow of traffic in 2024, causing an accident that left a passenger in another car with a fractured rib.
On Friday, February 27, Ruth Chia Soh Kim pleaded guilty to one charge of driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt. A second charge of causing hurt by driving without due care and attention was taken into consideration during sentencing.
The court documents stated that the incident occurred on March 3, 2024. Chia, who was then 83, had left the Singapore Swimming Club in Tanjong Rhu at about 9pm with her 90-year-old friend, Lim Loo Leong, seated in the front passenger seat. She was driving towards Tiong Bahru to send him home and relied on him for directions as she was unfamiliar with the route.
At about 9.20 pm, Chia stopped at a red light at the junction of Nicoll Highway and Bras Basah Road. When the light turned green, she drove forward and made a right turn into Bras Basah Road, which is a one-way street, against the direction of traffic.
Dashcam footage played in court captured Chia asking her passenger moments before the turn, "Can turn here? Are you sure?"
At the same time, Vincent Foo Ghim Huat, 38, was travelling along Nicoll Highway towards Guillemard Road in the opposite direction. Although he applied his brakes upon seeing Chia's vehicle, he was unable to avoid a collision.
The impact caused Chia's car to spin and mount the traffic island at a zebra crossing, where several pedestrians had been standing.
Foo's passenger, Kreemounwai Rawiwan, 41, suffered a fractured rib as well as abrasions on her left hand and right knee. She was granted 33 days of hospitalisation leave following the accident.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Intan Suhaily Abu Bakar sought a fine ranging from S$3,000 to S$4,000 and a five-year driving disqualification. She told the court that the case would ordinarily have crossed the custodial threshold but noted that Chia had been "to some extent misinformed" by her passenger.
However, the prosecutor stressed that the ultimate responsibility lay with the driver. Taking into account Chia's age, the prosecution did not object to a fine instead of a jail term.
In mitigation, defence counsel Lee May Ling from Allen & Gledhill said that Chia had remained at the scene until she was taken to hospital and had cooperated fully with investigators. However, the court documents did not indicate whether Chia sustained injuries.
Her lawyer also told the court that Chia has stopped driving since the accident and has sold her car.
Under Singapore regulations, drivers aged above 65 who hold Class 2 or Class 3 licences must undergo a medical examination every three years to be certified fit to drive. The assessment includes a review of medical history, checks for physical or psychiatric conditions, hearing ability, vision and basic cognitive function.
For driving without due care and attention causing grievous hurt, offenders face a fine of up to S$5,000, a jail term of up to two years, or both. They may also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence.
