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S$14,000 fine for Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh founder, 88, over fatal car crash along Nassim Road
SINGAPORE — While driving to a food-tasting session at Orchard Hotel in November 2022, the founder of a bak kut teh restaurant lost control of his car and crashed into a tree along Nassim Road.
The accident killed a passenger in the car, and left another passenger with bruises and lacerations on his head, among other injuries.
On Friday (Sept 27), Ng Siak Hai, 88, pleaded guilty to two charges of driving without due care and attention. He was fined S$14,000 and disqualified from driving any vehicle for eight years.
He is the founder of Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh restaurant located near Balestier Road and is one of the founding members of seafood restaurant chain Jumbo Group.
WHAT HAPPENED
The court heard that Ng Siak Hai, Ng Thit Hung, 72, and Mr Tan Teck Soon, 76, were good friends for about 20 years and were part of a Teochew clan association called Teo Ann Huay Kuan. Ng Siak Hai was also the association's chairman.
On Nov 1, 2022 at around 6.30pm, the three men left the association's headquarters at Lorong 8 Geylang and headed towards Orchard Hotel for food-tasting for the association's 58th-anniversary dinner.
Ng Siak Hai drove the car — a blue Mercedes Benz — while Ng Thit Hung sat in the front passenger seat and Mr Tan at the back.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Natalie Chu said that the driver and front-seat passenger fastened their seat belts, and Mr Tan fell asleep shortly after getting into the car.
While Ng Siak Hai was driving the car along the Central Expressway, he started to feel light-headed, so he decided to exit onto Bukit Timah Road to drive at a slower speed.
Then as he was travelling along a bend on Nassim Road towards Tanglin Road, Ng Siak Hai lost control of the car.
This caused the car to veer to the left and crash into a tree on the left side of the road.
"As a result of the impact, the car was overturned on its right side," DPP Chu said.
"The accused, the deceased and Tan remained trapped inside the car until the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force officers arrived at the scene and extricated all three persons from the car by cutting off the roof of the car."
When paramedics arrived, the front-seat passenger had no pulse, while the driver and Mr Tan were conscious. The trio were then taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where Ng Thit Hung was eventually pronounced dead at 9.03pm.
An autopsy later found that Ng Thit Hung's cause of death was ischaemic heart disease with an abdominal injury.
Mr Tan was left with several bruises and cuts on his head, a knee abrasion and a myocardial injury (of the heart). He was warded for nine days and given 20 days' hospitalisation leave.
Ng Siak Hai suffered a chest contusion (bruise) and he was warded from Nov 1 to 4 in 2022.
"While the accused was known to have diabetes among other medical conditions at the time, it was not possible to determine if he had hypoglycaemia at the time of the accident," DPP Chu said.
Hypoglycaemia — also known as low blood sugar — can cause blurry vision, shaking and seizures, among other symptoms.
DPP Chu also said that there was no footage of the incident, and that Ng Siak Hai said that there were no mechanical issues with the car.
The prosecution added that at the time of the incident, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry and the traffic volume was light.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS
DPP Chu sought a maximum fine of S$15,000, and a disqualification period for Ng Siak Hai from driving any vehicle for eight years.
"Given the circumstances of the accused's medical conditions... including end-stage renal failure, we will accept there is some basis for the court to (provide) leniency if it is so minded," she said on whether Ng Siak Hai should be jailed.
She highlighted that he has had a history of traffic offences for speeding, careless driving and failing to conform to directional signs. These took place in 1993, 1998 and 2021 respectively.
The man's lawyers called for a lower fine of S$11,000, noting that he is semi-retired and draws a monthly pay of S$8,000 as the consultant to the restaurant he founded.
Mr Choo Si Sen of law firm Tan Lee & Partners said: "The total of the maximum fines as submitted by the prosecutor is beyond his financial means."
The lawyer also said that his client requires kidney dialysis thrice a week and is on regular haemodialysis for renal failure. He also suffers from diabetes and hypertension.
Ng Siak Hai had demonstrated sincere and genuine remorse by attending the funeral wake of the deceased twice and pleading guilty early to his charges, the lawyer added.
Anyone found guilty of driving a vehicle without due care and attention, and causing the death of another person, can be jailed up to three years or fined up to S$10,000, or both.
For driving a vehicle without due care and attention, and causing grievous hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or both.
Both charges carry a disqualification from driving any vehicle for eight years and five years respectively.
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S$14k fine for Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh founder, 88
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28-Sep 2024 Saturday
12:01 AM (50 days ago)
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