Woman crashes into motorcyclist in Kallang, heads to JB for shopping trip before turning herself in
A female BMW driver who ran a red light and threw a motorcyclist off his bike in Kallang went on a shopping trip in Johor Bahru before turning herself in to the police days later.
She was sentenced to four months’ jail and disqualified from driving for five years.
The accused, Huang Suhua (transliterated), faced four charges under the Road Traffic Act, including dangerous driving causing grievous hurt and failing to turn herself in within 24 hours of the accident.
The 56-year-old pleaded guilty to three charges, with the remaining charge being taken into consideration during sentencing.
According to Shin Min Daily News, court documents stated that Huang was driving a BMW vehicle along Sims Avenue at about 8.24am on Nov 19, 2024.
She ran a red light and collided with a 58-year-old motorcyclist, throwing him off the bike and resulting in serious injuries.
Instead of assisting the victim, Huang drove away from the scene of the accident.
Went shopping in Johor Bahru after crash, surrendered days later
Following the accident, Huang reportedly drove to look for a colleague and asked the colleague to drive her back to the scene.
She then proceeded to help open her daughter’s music school. She also repaired the car and purportedly went shopping in Johor Bahru before turning herself in at a police station several days later.
The court heard that the motorcyclist suffered multiple fractures and was given at least three months of medical leave.
In mitigation, Huang’s lawyer submitted a written plea stating that she was deeply remorseful over her actions and had never shifted the blame to others, urging the court to take her family circumstances into account during sentencing.
Accused broke down in court while pleading for leniency
Huang, who appeared in court accompanied by her daughter, tearfully pleaded for leniency, insisting that she had not intentionally hit the victim.
She told the court that she felt immense guilt after the accident and said she was a single mother with a young child, while also caring for her 80-year-old mother, who suffers from diabetes and other chronic illnesses.
Breaking down repeatedly in court, Huang said she had lost her job because of the accident and was struggling financially. She added that she had borrowed the BMW involved in the crash from a friend, and after it was impounded, she had to compensate the owner.
She also apologised to the victim in court and appealed for a lighter sentence.
The judge, however, questioned whether Huang had considered the victim’s circumstances, remarking that the sentence imposed was already lenient.
“If this had been an intentional act, the punishment would have been far more severe. But you must understand that you caused this accident,” the judge said.
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