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Teen given short detention order over e-scooter collision that left housewife in coma

An e-scooter rider. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)
An e-scooter rider. (Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

A teenage e-scooter rider who left a housewife in a coma after colliding into her at a bus stop along Pasir Ris Drive was slapped with a 14-day short detention order and 100 hours of community service on Tuesday (17 July).

Polytechnic student Nicholas Ting Nai Jie, 19, had pleaded guilty on 13 June to one charge of causing grievous hurt via a negligent act to 54-year-old Ang Liu Kiow. The short detention order mean that Ting will be detained in prison but will not have a criminal record.

In sentencing Ting, District Judge Eddy Tham warned the teenager that if he did not comply with the Community Service Order, he could be sentenced afresh for the offence. The DJ also ordered Ting’s e-scooter to be forfeited and disposed of by the police.

Ting’s lawyer, Peter Keith Fernando, said that his client had not seen any buses approaching the bus stop and did not expect anyone to step in front of his e-scooter.

“Nicholas reacted as fast as he could and applied the handle bar brakes while (his girlfriend) jumped off before he collided into (Ang),” said Fernando.

Asking for 140 hours of community service for his client, the lawyer added that Ting was “truly and contritely remorseful”. According to Fernando, his client has since paid compensation to Ang.

The prosecution however, asked for a short detention order and 140 hours of community service. After serving a short detention order, which lasts up to 14 days, an offender will not have a criminal record.

The incident took place on 17 September 2016 while Ting, then 17, was rushing to a dental appointment on his e-scooter with his girlfriend riding pillion.

Around 10am, Ang had just stepped out from the bus stop along Pasir Ris Drive 1 and onto a foot path when she was hit, according to court documents.

Ting, who was travelling at about 15kmh, did not use his horn to alert pedestrians as he approached the bus stop. He also failed to keep a proper lookout and reduce his speed.

When he caught sight of Ang, Ting applied the brakes on his e-scooter but failed to stop in time. His girlfriend jumped off the e-scooter just before it crashed into Ang.

The impact caused Ang to fall and hit her head on the ground. Some passers-by then helped Ang onto a bus stop seat.

She was observed to be dazed and unresponsive before she began to vomit a yellowish fluid.

Ting and his girlfriend called the police and requested for an ambulance to be sent to the area. Ang lost consciousness while en route to Changi General Hospital (CGH).

She was placed on life support at CGH and underwent an emergency operation to stop a brain haemorrhage.

Ang lapsed into a coma and woke up in October 2016. At the time of her discharge from CGH on 23 December 2016, she was still suffering impairments to her speech and language skills.

Her medical bills amounted to more than $107,000 and, in total, she spent $2,470.65 after government subsidies and an insurance payout.

After the incident, Ang experienced difficulty speaking and needed help to move around. She requires close supervision for her daily activities and also has to use a wheelchair to travel distances further than 60m.

Ting’s 14kg e-scooter, which had been purchased by his father two months before the incident, was sent for inspection and found to have no modifications or faults which could have led to the collision.

For his offence, Ting may have been jailed up to two years , fined a maximum $5,000, or both.

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E-scooter rider pleads guilty over accident that left housewife in coma