Mini bus driver jailed and banned for causing Vietnamese woman's death in road accident

By Elena Chong
The Straits Times
Nov 22, 2016

A mini bus driver who hit a pedestrian and caused her death was jailed for three weeks and banned from driving for five years on Tuesday (Nov 22).

Ong Seng Thiam, 56, who pleaded guilty, was driving the vehicle at the T-junction of Delta Avenue and Delta Road on July 21, 2015 when he failed to keep a proper lookout while making a left turn and hit Madam Do Thi Kim Chi.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Teo Lu Jia had told the court that when Ong approached the non-signalised T-junction, he intended to turn left from Delta Avenue to the main road.

The 53-year-old Vietnamese pedestrian had been pushing a trolley filled with groceries in front of Ong.

Ong turned left into Delta Road towards the direction of Lower Delta Road.

While making the turn, he hit Madam Kim Chi but did not know it as he had not seen her at all. However, he heard a metallic sound at the bottom of his vehicle.

He completed the turn and drove a distance forward before he stopped on the left side of the road.

The spot where the accident occurred was not within 50m of either side of a pedestrian crossing nor within 50m of the pedestrian "No Crossing'' signs.

After stopping his vehicle, Ong alighted and noticed the woman lying on the floor near her trolley.

She was pronounced dead about three hours later.

Ong, represented by Mr Wee Pan Lee, could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligent act.