Man to be charged for driving under influence of etomidate in accident that killed elderly Geylang pasar malam attendant
A 41-year-old man will be charged in court on Sept 2 for driving under the influence of etomidate and dangerous driving causing death.
The charge concerns an accident on July 11, 2025, involving a car and a woman along Pipit Road, near Block 52A Circuit Road.
Police were alerted at about 11.45pm that day. A Singapore Civil Defence Force paramedic pronounced a 66-year-old female stall attendant, who was at the stall at the time, dead at the scene.
Unauthorised driver lost control of car in fatal accident
Investigations revealed that the driver had lost control of the car, which surged forward and crashed through a carpark barrier before crossing the two-lane Pipit Road.
The vehicle bearing the GetGo emblem then mounted the kerb before colliding into a temporary night market stall along the roadside.
The police said that the driver did not render assistance to the accident victim. Instead, he abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene with another passenger.
In a 2025 report, The Straits Times shared information from GetGo that the car was driven by an individual who was not an authorised user.
The car-sharing platform emphasised that this was a severe breach of its terms of service designed to protect the community.
With the aid of police cameras and through extensive ground inquiries, Traffic Police officers managed to identify the car driver and arrested him on July 12, 2025.
They later found that he did not possess a valid driving licence and had used a vaporiser containing etomidate before driving.
He had rented the car using the male passenger’s account as the latter had a valid driving licence. The authorities will not take further action against the passenger as he has died from an unrelated road traffic accident.
Man to be charged for seven offences
The car driver, 41, will be charged in court for the following offences:
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Dangerous driving
- Dangerous driving causing death
- Driving without a valid driving licence
- Using a vehicle without insurance coverage
- Failing to stop and provide particulars after an accident
- Failing to render assistance after an accident
The police emphasise that driving under the influence of drugs, psychoactive substances, intoxicating substances or alcohol is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible act that puts the lives of all road users at grave risk.
Motorists are reminded to abide by traffic laws and hold a valid driving licence for the correct class of vehicle.
If they are involved in a traffic accident, they should stop to render assistance.
The police will take firm action against motorists who drive under the influence of drugs, psychoactive substances, intoxicating substances or alcohol.
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