On 14 Mar, Honami Lam Qixin, 25, pleaded guilty to causing Jasmine Lim Jia Yan, 23, death due to negligent driving. Miss Lim died in the hospital on 22 Apr 2018.
The accident occurred at the junction of Jaan Anak Bukit and Jurong Kechil Road.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wu Yu Jie mentioned that Ms. Lam’s intention was to turn right towards the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) heading to Changi. However, When the traffic lights turned green for vehicles to travel straight ahead, Ms. Lam started turning right before the right-turn green arrow appeared.
Mr Thanjavour Rajarm Prabhuram, 43, who was driving an SMRT bus in the opposite direction of Jalan Anak Bukit towards Clementi Road, hit the left side of the car, which spun before coming to a stop.
Ms. Lam then called the police. Ms. Lim, who was sitting at the back of the car, was then taken to the National University Hospital, where she died due to a head injury.
When addressing to District Judge Kessler Soh, DPP Wu stressed that Lam’s negligence was “not insubstantial” and urged the court to sentence her to four weeks’ imprisonment and disqualify her from driving for five years.
On the other hand, defense lawyer David Nayer pleaded for Ms. Lam to be imprisoned for a week and be disqualified from driving for two years instead, highlighting the clean driving record before the incident.
Ms. Lam will be sentenced on 29 Mar. She is now out on bail of $10,000.
Drivers or not, do exercise caution when you are on the roads. Whether midnight got cars or not, still must obey traffic rules. When life and death are of a concern, better be safe than sorry.
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