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Merc driver who drove against traffic, causing deadly crash, jailed

(Photo: Nurul Zaidy/Facebook)
(Photo: Nurul Zaidy/Facebook)

SINGAPORE — A Mercedes Benz driver who caused the death of a motorist and severely injured his wife while recklessly driving against the flow of traffic on an expressway was jailed for a year on Monday (25 November).

Lim Chai Heng, 56, was also disqualified from driving for 12 years after he barrelled into and killed actor Liong Kuo Hwa, who was driving a Toyota Vios in the 2016 incident on the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE)

The Singaporean earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the death through a rash act not amounting to culpable homicide.

Another three counts of causing grievous hurt through a rash act to Liong’s wife Venny Oliver, 40, motorcyclist Teh Tze Yong and his wife Choo Yat Chiam, both 37-year-old Malaysians, and one count of causing hurt to motorist Tan Han Boon, 37, through the same act, were considered for sentencing.

The prosecution had earlier asked for two years’ jail for Lim while Lim’s lawyer Yusfiyanto Yatiman, sought five to seven months’ jail, citing Lim’s acute psychosis condition as an important mitigating factor.

Sped against flow of traffic

On 19 December 2016, Lim, the sole proprietor of a printing company, was sending his son to his first day of work at Central Manpower Base when he drove into the motorcycle lane of Tuas Checkpoint. He ended up there after ignoring his son’s requests to exit the CTE and AYE.

After entering the motorcycle lane at about 7.57am, he ignored the gap which allowed him to exit. He stopped only after the lane became too narrow for his car. He then made a three-point turn before driving against the flow of motorcycles.

He exited the motorcycle lane into the car lane through the gap in the barrier but continued driving against the flow of traffic on the Tuas Checkpoint Departure Viaduct leading to the AYE. Two oncoming vehicles had to avoid his car.

Just before exiting the viaduct, Lim accelerated and reached a speed of up to 147kmh as he entered the AYE. He drove on lane one towards the Tuas West Underpass.

At about 8.01am, after crossing the underpass, a vehicle driving in front of Tan swerved left to avoid Lim’s car. Tan then swerved left but collided with a bus and hit a concrete wall.

Liong’s car, which was right behind Tan, collided into Lim’s car head on. It veered across two lanes and slammed against the concrete wall.

Lim’s car also veered and collided head on with Teh’s scooter. The force of the impact flung Teh and Choo, who was riding pillion, from their scooter.

Lim’s car continued moving until it rammed into a concrete wall. It had driven a total of 1.8km against the flow of traffic.

Liong was pronounced dead at the scene at about 8.18am. His wife suffered from jawbone and rib fractures and a right lung contusion.

Teh sustained five fractures in his hand and arm and had his right ring finger amputated while his wife had a fracture on her thighbone, kneecap, and a sprain to her shoulder. Tan received abrasions on his forearm.

In sentencing Lim, Judicial Commissioner Vincent Hoong noted that Lim’s acute psychosis condition had “seriously inhibited his ability to make proper choices at the time of the offence”, and that a year’s jail was a “proper balance between the significant harm (both actual and potential) caused by (Lim) and his reduced culpability given his medical condition.”

The judge referenced three medical reports prepared by a psychiatrist from the Institute of Mental Health who examined Lim, his family members, and an ex-employee.

In his reports, Dr Jerome Goh Hern Yee found that although Lim was not of an unsound mind, his judgement was significantly impaired, leading him to discount the risks of his actions, despite the signs of danger and warnings from his son, who was in the car at the time.

Lim’s colour printing business had been flailing and he had quarrelled with his wife over it. His long-time employee of more than 20 years had also resigned, adding to his stress. On the day before the offence, he reported feeling his willpower being “controlled by (God)”, and that he had been hearing voices which prompted him to recognise the employee as his “god-sister”

Lim’s family members had corroborated his erratic behaviour before the incident, with his son trying to stop his father while in the car, but to no avail.

On the day of the offence, Lim had chosen to use the CTE as he felt it would be faster. However, he claimed that he was “not allowed” to turn out at the Bukit Merah exit, which was the closest to his son’s workplace.

Instead, he told his son, “(God) today won’t let you go to work”. When his son asked where they were going after he had missed the Bukit Merah exit, he replied that he did not know where “(God)” wanted to bring them to.

While Lim’s culpability was reduced, he caused extensive harm and significant property damage.

The judge noted in his judgement that Lim’s condition has since been treated and resolved with the help of ongoing antipsychotic medication.

“Given the accused person’s acknowledgment of his mental condition, as well as his compliance with treatment, I find that the danger posed by (Lim) is minimal, such that the principle of prevention has limited relevance in the context of sentencing him,” he said.

In an earlier hearing, the prosecution had described the case as “close to the most serious of its kind” in respect of its charge. Lim’s actions had a very high risk of catastrophic outcome and he had driven near 50 per cent above the speed limit of 90kmh.

Yusfiyanto however, told the court that Lim’s case was an exception due to his acute psychosis condition, which had significantly impaired his judgement.

The prosecution has asked the court to stay Lim’s sentence in order to consider an appeal.

Related stories:

AYE accident: Driver faces amended charge of culpable homicide

AYE accident: 53-year-old man charged with causing death by reckless driving

Man arrested after fatal road accident near Tuas West Road