A 64-year-old Singaporean taxi driver was sentenced to three weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to negligent driving causing the death of a 70-year old Indonesian man who was a passenger in another taxi in 2018.
- He pleaded guilty in the State Courts of Singapore. He after pleaded guilty to one count of negligent driving causing death. He was disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for four years.
- According to the Charges, the man stopped his taxi near Gleneagles Hospital and alighted to help his passenger remove a wheelchair from the boot. When the taxi inched forward, he went back to the driver’s seat to step on the brakes but instead negligently stepped on the accelerator instead, causing the taxi to surge forward and hit the rear of a nearby stationary car. The man failed to apply his brakes and the taxi continued moving forward and later struck another taxi in which the victim was a passenger.
- It is unclear whether he was represented by a Criminal Defence Lawyer during the presentation of his mitigation plea and when the Court imposed the sentence.
Causing death by rash or negligent act is an offence under section 304A of the Penal Code (Cap 224) which states:
304A. Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished —
(a) in the case of a rash act, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 5 years, or with fine, or with both; or
(b) in the case of a negligent act, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.
More information on the case may be found here.