Bus driver fined for injuring elderly passenger due to sudden braking
CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this article mentioned that Shamsul Anwar Mohd was a bus driver from SBS, based on the statement of facts tendered in court. SBS Transit clarified that the bus driver was never an employee of the company.
When a car in front of him stopped, a bus driver braked suddenly to avoid a collision.
The motion caused an 82-year-old bus passenger, who was standing near the exit, to fly to the front and hit his head on a railing.
As a result, Lim Kim Chia sustained a spinal fracture and head injury, which resulted in permanent injury to his hands and arms.
On Monday (1 October), Malaysian Shamsul Anwar Mohd, 34, was fined $2,500 on one count of causing hurt to Lim by committing a negligent act which endangered the passenger’s safety. He was also disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for a year. Shamsul is currently suspended from his job pending the outcome of the case.
The incident occurred on the morning of 23 December last year as Shamsul was driving the bus along Punggol Field. While he was driving towards Sumang Lane, he trailed behind a car, which was travelling at a relatively slow speed.
The car driven by a Grab driver approached the junction at Punggol Field Walk and slowed down. The bus, however, continued to move closer to the car. When the car came to a stop, Shamsul jammed his brakes to avoid a collision.
A moment earlier, Lim had stood up from his seat and moved to the exit of the bus as it approached a bus stop. Closed circuit television footage played in court showed Lim being hurled to the front of the bus after Shamsul jammed the brakes.
Lim was conveyed to the hospital where he was found to have a scalp laceration and a spinal fracture. He underwent surgery a day later and was discharged only in February this year. A medical report stated that Lim suffered from permanent injuries in the form of weakness of both hands and numbness in both arms. His neck’s range of motion is also limited.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Wu Yu Jie sought at least one week’s jail and 18 months of disqualification, adding Lim’s injuries were serious and that he had to suffer from long-lasting effects.
“Shamsul had ample opportunity to maintain sufficient distance from the car in front of him. While the car slowed down, the bus continued to move towards the car at the same speed,” he said.
Shamsul’s lawyer, Ashwin Ganapathy, argued for a fine of $2,500 and a disqualification of no more than six months for his client.
He said that his client was remorseful about the incident. Shamsul had offered $1,000 in compensation to Lim but was rejected.
District Judge Luke Tan noted serious harm had been caused to Lim and that Shamsul should have been careful while driving a heavy vehicle.
For causing hurt to a person by committing a negligent act which endangers human life, Shamsul could have been jailed up to six months and/or fined $2,500.
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