Dec 23, 2008[SIZE="5"]16-year-old crashed brother's car and died[/SIZE](http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20081222/ST_IMAGES_P1BLURBS23-PIL.jpg)By Elena ChongNO ONE knows when or how a 16-year-old unlicensed driver learnt to drive, a coroner's court heard yesterday.Yet Yeo Ken How got behind the wheel of his elder brother's Suzuki Swift on Sept 1 and drove off. The car eventually got out of control and crashed into a tree on Bedok South Road, killing him.According to a previous newspaper report, the Secondary 4 student of Bedok South Secondary School travelled a distance of about 1.8km from his block of flats at Bedok North Street 1 before he crashed.At an inquiry into his death yesterday, the court heard that the vehicle's right rear bald tyre may have partially contributed to the accident.Station Inspector Kenny Chua said in his investigation report that Ken How was driving alone to meet some friends in Marine Parade when he lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a left bend.The car swerved to the left and hit the tree.He suffered serious injuries to the head and body and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at about 1.30pm on Sept 1.Investigations showed that he had driven his brother's car without his consent.His brother, Mr Yeo Ken Pon, 30, who was in Australia at the time, had given the keys of the car to his mother for safe keeping. She kept them in a pouch in one of the cupboards in the living room.Neither she nor Mr Yeo had seen Ken How drive previously. They also did not know where or when he had learnt to drive.In his findings, State Coroner Victor Yeo said the extensive damage to the car suggested that it was not travelling at a slow speed before the collision. The speed limit was 60kmh.He added that it was very likely that a combination of factors such as wet weather conditions, the balding right tyre and the teen's lack of qualifications to drive could have led to the accident.The coroner recorded a verdict of misadventure on Ken How's death.
Dec 23, 2008OLD UPPER THOMSON ROAD CRASHMaximum fine for deaths of two friends19-year-old is banned from driving for five years, but is spared jailBy Elena Chong & Carolyn QuekAT ONLY 19, polytechnic student Phua Jia Chee has to live with killing two friends and injuring a third after losing control while driving.He was not speeding, nor had he been drinking, the court heard yesterday.Phua, now 20, escaped jail but was fined in a district court a maximum of $10,000 on a charge of causing the deaths of two friends in the accident that occurred on Old Upper Thomson Road on Jan 29.He could have been jailed for up to two years and fined.He was also told he would be fined another $500 - also the maximum amount - for causing injuries to his front-seat passenger. He could have been jailed six months and fined $500.The fact that Phua did not ensure that his back-seat passengers - Mr David Li Zhensen, 18, and Mr Mervin Teo Chong Ming, 20 - used their seat belts was also taken into consideration.Phua, who got his licence about a year before the horrific crash, is also not allowed behind the wheel of a car or any vehicle for five years.Phua declined to be interviewed, but his father kept apologising to the victims' families. 'Nobody wanted such a thing to happen,' said Mr Phua, who did not wish to give his full name.Mr Phua said his only child had been under tremendous pressure in the past year and had been feeling heartbroken over the incident. It has also been a difficult period for the family. 'We have been trying to get by,' he said.Phua was driving his father's car at around 11.45 that night when he failed to have proper control while negotiating a bend, causing it to veer left, off the road proper, and plunge into a ditch before slamming into a tree. Just last month, the Land Transport Authority installed a safety guard and warning sign along the same bend, the court heard.Mr Li, 18, was pronounced dead at the scene while Mr Teo, 20, died in hospital. Both had severe head injuries. The front-seat passenger, Mr Tan Han Leng, 20, had minor bruises and cuts to his left arm. He was in hospital for two days.Pleading for leniency, Phua's lawyer Lim Tiang Yao said his client was deeply distressed over the loss of his two friends. 'He has learnt his lesson about the perils of negligence...and it is one which he will not forget for the rest of his life,' said Mr Lim in his mitigation plea.When contacted, the mother of survivor Mr Tan said she did not blame Phua for what had happened. 'He did not do this on purpose. We also want the best for him. If he had gone to jail, it may have affected his (future) career,' said Madam Linda Loh, 59, an administrative officer.The families of the dead men also spoke to The Strait Times and said they were still coming to terms with the deaths. 'Whatever the sentence is, it makes no difference now...there's also no point in saying sorry,' said Mr Dennis Li, 27, David's elder brother.
Dec 28, 2008Worker hit by Ferrari(http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20081228/sg-fer.jpg)By Sujin ThomasAN Indian national was killed on Saturday after he was hit by a Ferrari along Clementi Road.Mr S Raja, a 22-year-old construction worker, was crossing the street near the Japanese School at about 8pm when he was struck by the sports car.He was flung several metres and died on the spot from severe head injuries.He was crossing the street with a colleague from construction firm Sato Kogyo. The other man was not injured in the collision.The 37-year-old driver of the Ferrari was arrested and is assisting police with investigations.The car had a shattered windscreen and a damaged front bumper. Its left rear-view mirror was also ripped off.According to the New Paper, a co-worker said Mr Raja had been in Singapore for almost two years and was looking forward to going home after earning some money.'Now it will never happen,' he said.
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Topic: Accident Crash Revisit 2.0 (Read 55987 times)
