‘Why wasn’t he wearing glasses?’: Judge dismisses New Ubin Group co-founder’s appeal over fatal crash after he cites poor eyesight
The co-founder of food and beverage firm New Ubin Group, who ran a red light and fatally struck a cyclist, has appealed against his jail sentence, arguing that he was unaware his eyesight had deteriorated and that it was affecting his judgement.
However, the judge questioned the extent of his eyesight problems and whether he was indeed unaware of his conditions, at one point asking why he had not been wearing glasses.
Pang Meng Seng, 70, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving causing death and was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks’ jail. He was also disqualified from driving for eight years.
Pang appealed against the sentence on Nov 5.
The accident happened at 9.15am on March 2, 2022, when Pang ran a red light at a junction between Bukit Batok East Avenue 2 and Avenue 5.
He collided with 41-year-old Myanmar national Chit Oo Maung, who was cycling across the road.
The cyclist was knocked unconscious and taken to National University Hospital for treatment. He suffered severe injuries, including skull fractures and bleeding in his brain.
He died in the hospital later that evening.
Three new medical reports submitted
At the time of the accident, Pang had glaucoma, myopia, and astigmatism. He had been diagnosed with glaucoma as early as March 2015 and was aware of his eyesight condition, but was not wearing glasses when the accident happened.
According to Shin Min Daily News, Pang’s lawyer submitted three new medical reports during the appeal.
The reports stated that, in addition to the three conditions, his glaucoma had progressed to the point where he developed a scotoma, commonly known as a blind spot. He also had age-related macular degeneration.
The reports by Pang’s lawyer stated that the 70-year-old was unaware that his eyesight had deteriorated, which affected his judgement.
However, the prosecutor argued that Pang could not use the medical reports as a excuse.
The prosecution argued that Pang’s eyesight problems had not developed overnight — he had been diagnosed seven years before the accident. As such, the incident could not be regarded as an event which was beyond his control.
Judge questions why he was not wearing glasses
The High Court judge noted that although the defence lawyer’s submissions initially appeared to suggest that both of Pang’s eyes were affected, the scotoma was present only in his left eye.
His right eye had astigmatism, myopia, and age-related macular degeneration — conditions that could be addressed with glasses.
The judge proceeded to ask: “Then why wasn’t he wearing glasses at the time?”
Pang’s lawyer reportedly appeared stumped by the question, but replied that Pang had followed his doctor’s instructions to use eye drops daily after receiving treatment, adding that Pang was not asked to return for further check-ups or specifically instructed to wear glasses.
The prosecutor pointed out that Pang had undergone an annual eyesight test on Nov 9, 2020, in accordance with Traffic Police requirements.
Although he already knew he had glaucoma, he did not declare the condition accurately on the form.
As a result, the test report’s conclusion that he was fit to drive without glasses was not accurate.
A three-judge panel led by Justice Sushil Sukumaran Nair ultimately dismissed Pang’s appeal.
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