An Indian trailer driver was sentenced to 12 weeks jailtime in Singapore for causing an accident that killed two electric bike riders and injured another in 2016. He has also been banned from driving for five years.
The 36-year old Indian, identified as Sahadevan Senguttuvan, had pleaded guilty in the Court.
This tragic accident took place just before midnight on October 27, 2016, along the West Coast Highway when Sahadevan was driving a trailer.
The driver had worked for more than 12 hours, since 7.20 am, and he was driving his motor trailer towards Telok Bengale suburb estate when the tragedy struck.
The three victims of the accident – 25-year-old Ang Yee Fong, 18-year-old Ong Zi Quan and 17-year-old Marcus Loke Teck Soon – were on their e-bikes in single file on the leftmost lane in front of the trailer when the trailer struck them.
Sahadevan stopped his trailer and alighted, before calling for the ambulance and waiting for it to arrive,
Ang was pronounced dead at the scene and Zi Quan died soon after in hospital, while Marcus suffered abrasions, bruises and a fracture on his finger.
In the Court, the prosecution asked for 12 weeks' jail, while the defence asked for eight weeks instead.
Hamidah Ibrahim, District Judge said she watched footage of the accident, which "happened very fast".
“You did not exercise any prudent care at all. It's only fortuitous that Marcus was able to avoid having more disastrous consequences,” she said.
She said she accepted the prosecution's submissions for an uplift of the sentence, saying deterrence was required to convey a message to drivers of all such vehicles.
Sahadevan had said at a coroner's inquiry last year that he panicked when he saw the e-bike riders, and made no attempt to brake before the collision.
During the coroner’s inquiry, he said, “I tried my best. I didn't want to hit them.”