Unlicensed driver, 18, arrested after fleeing police roadblock and leaving 4 passengers behind

Sarah Koh
The Straits Times
Sept 24, 2023

An 18-year-old man who got behind the wheel without a driving licence was arrested after he fled from a roadblock in Kallang Road in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported on Sunday the man was driving a Mercedes-Benz with four passengers when he saw a police roadblock ahead of him in Kallang Road at about 2am.

He quickly reversed about 200m, got out of the car and ran, with police officers giving chase, the report said.

One of the four passengers was seen making phone calls, but she said she had no ties to the driver.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the police said the driver’s identity was established with the help of police and closed-circuit television cameras.

“The 18-year-old male driver was subsequently arrested within six hours for the offences of evasion of police roadblock, driving without a licence and using a vehicle without insurance coverage,” the police said.

According to an ST report in 2021, 33 people were convicted or given stern warnings for evading roadblocks between 2016 and 2020. In two incidents, police officers were injured.

Those who evade roadblocks can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to seven years, or both.