Driver involved in 2013 deaths of man and Korean family charged
The man behind the wheel of a car that killed members of a Korean family on a Singapore’s Central Expressway (CTE) was charged in court on Friday.
Toh Cheng Yang, 35, is accused of one charge of dangerous driving resulting in death, and another of driving under the influence of drugs, according to local media reports.
The accident occurred in the early hours of National Day, also the second day of Hari Raya Puasa last year, when 23-year-old Amron Ayoub, his girlfriend Jamie Song, 24, as well as her father Song Jung Woo and mother Kim Mee Kyung, aged 56 and 54, were in a car on the expressway near the Yio Chu Kang Road exit.
They were headed in the direction of the SLE, bound for the airport, when the car broke down. Amron, who was believed to be at the wheel, parked the car at a road shoulder, and all of them stepped out of it, including Song’s older brother Song Seung Hwan, 30.
At that point, Toh’s car, a Honda Stream, is believed to have rammed into the family and their Toyota Wish. As Song and her parents were standing behind the car, they were killed on impact. Amron was rushed to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, but died from his injuries the next day. Song’s brother was standing beside the car, however, and so did not get hit.
In court, Toh’s lawyer Abdul Hamid Sultan reportedly requested an adjournment. He had his bail extended until he returns to court on 5 May, and police reportedly said on Thursday that his licence suspension, which was enforced from the day of the accident, will remain until the outcome of the case is determined.
If found guilty, Toh can be jailed for up to five years for dangerous driving, and for driving under the influence of drugs, he could be fined up to $5,000 or imprisoned for as long as six months.
