Lucky Plaza crash that killed 2, injured 4: Driver gets 2 years and 6 months' jail
Posted on 24 September 2021 | 8,158 views | 32 comments
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
September 24, 2021 A man involved in the 2019 Lucky Plaza crash that killed two women pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving on Friday (Sept 24) and was sentenced to two years and six months' jail. He has also been disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for 10 years. Two dangerous driving charges involving four other women who survived the crash were considered during sentencing.
Shortly before the tragedy, the six Filipino women had gathered along a pedestrian walkway in Nutmeg Road near the Orchard Road shopping mall on their day off at around 4.40pm on Dec 29, 2019.
The Malaysian offender, Chong Kim Hoe, now 66, was then working as a private-hire car driver. The court heard he had a history of beating red light signals.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Samyata Ravindran said that before the crash, the Singapore permanent resident had stopped his car along Nutmeg Road for a smoke break after dropping off a passenger.
He then received a booking to pick up another passenger along Orchard Road.
The DPP said: “In order to get to his next customer, he made an unauthorised U-turn at the junction of Jalan Kayu Manis. As he was making the U-turn, he realised that the rear of his motorcar had mounted the kerb along Jalan Kayu Manis.
“The accused intended to apply the brakes so that he could reverse the motorcar and ensure that there was adequate space for him to make the U-turn.”
Instead, Chong stepped on the accelerator and mounted the pedestrian pathway along Nutmeg Road.
The car failed to stop even after mounting the kerb. It then proceeded across a grass patch and collided with the six women.
The Straits Times
September 24, 2021 A man involved in the 2019 Lucky Plaza crash that killed two women pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving on Friday (Sept 24) and was sentenced to two years and six months' jail. He has also been disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for 10 years.
Source:
The Straits Times
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.