Cyclist and driver charged with committing rash act to endanger the personal safety of others

Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
June 7, 2023

Two women, believed to be a cyclist and the driver of a car caught on video in an altercation in East Coast Road last Friday, are now accused of committing rash acts.

On Tuesday, the two – Nicolette Tan Shi-en, 31, and Elaine Michele Ow, 49 – were each charged with one count of committing a rash act to endanger the personal safety of others.

Tan, believed to be the cyclist, is also accused of causing obstruction to others.

A search of Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority records revealed that Ow is a director of Prodigy Productions, while Tan used to be a secretary at several companies, including Gabriel Law Corporation.

Tan allegedly used her body to block the car said to be driven by Ow from moving forward.

She is also accused of lying on the bonnet of the moving car, obstructing the driver’s view.

Ow is said to have endangered the safety of others by driving the car forward while Tan was allegedly on its bonnet.

The women are accused of committing the offences between 3pm and 3.30pm last Friday.

Their cases have been adjourned to July 4.

A 39-second video on Facebook page Beh Chia Lor – Singapore shows a female cyclist obstructing a grey car in the three-lane road.

Other drivers can be heard sounding their car horns as the cyclist, wearing a yellow top and blue helmet, speaks on the phone while blocking the car, before she hops onto its bonnet as the vehicle tries to go past her.

The car is seen moving towards i12 Katong mall, with the cyclist clinging on to the vehicle as her shouts are heard in the distance.

According to Chinese-language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao, the owner of a massage shop heard the duo arguing for more than five minutes.

Another shop owner told Zaobao that the car, after moving off, stopped at the entrance of the mall. The cyclist initially refused to get off the vehicle and continued screaming, but eventually did so after some persuasion.

The shop owner added that she and other passers-by helped the woman to retrieve her bicycle.

For committing a rash act to endanger the safety of others, an offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,500.

For causing obstruction to others, an offender can be fined up to $1,000.