Underage car driver admits to crashing and killing pillion motorcycle rider
He stole a driving license and an NRIC from a wallet while he was out clubbing. Ong Han You, then 17, used the documents to rent cars through a friend despite having not reached the legal age for driving.
Tragedy struck some two months later when Ong drove a rented car and crashed into a motorcycle, killing its pillion rider.
On Monday (13 August), Ong, now 20, pleaded guilty to one count of cheating, one count of causing death by negligent act and one count of failing to render assistance after the incident. His actions caused the death of 45-year-old Lau Lee Kiaw, who was the fiancee of motorcyclist Lim Meng Peng, 55.
Five other charges will be taken into consideration for Ong’s sentencing.
The court heard that Ong, who is still serving national service, found the driving license and NRIC sometime in December 2015 in a wallet left outside Club V5, Ming Arcade. He kept the documents and disposed of the wallet.
In March 2016, Ong asked his friend, 19-year-old Tan Jun Jie, to rent a car for him using the documents. Tan rented a car from car rental company “Rent My Car” and received a car on 23 March 2016. He handed the car over to Ong on the same day.
When Ong began experiencing problems with the car five days later, he asked Tan to seek a replacement car, which he did.
On 21 May 2016, nearly two months into using the rental car, Ong was sending his girlfriend back to her home when he lost control of his car.
At around 7.56am, he was driving between 60kmh and 70 kmh on the rightmost lane of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 towards Buangkok Green when his right hand slipped off the steering wheel.
He hit Lim, who had stopped his motorcycle at a junction while waiting to make a right turn into Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2. The force of the impact threw Lim and Lau off the motorcycle.
Ong’s car continued surging forward into the lane that had traffic in the opposite direction. He collided with a taxi before his car came to a stop.
After the accident, Ong alighted from the car and saw Lau lying on the grass patch breathing heavily. Ong abandoned his car and left the scene with his girlfriend in a taxi.
Later, Tan called to inform Ong that the police had contacted him about the accident. Ong surrendered himself to the police on the same day. Tan was later sentenced to reformative training for his role in the matter.
Lim, Lau and the taxi driver were conveyed to hospital. Lau died one and a half hours after the accident while Lim suffered from two spinal fractures and a fractured leg. The taxi driver was diagnosed with acute stress reaction.
The prosecution, represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Teo Lu Jia, urged the court to jail Ong for between 13 and 15 months, and disqualify him from driving for eight years.
However, District Judge Jasvender Kaur asked why the prosecution did not seek reformative training for Ong, given that he was 17 years old when he offended. Reformative training is usually given to offenders under the age of 21. It lasts between 18 and 30 months and results in a criminal record.
In reply, DPP Teo said that the offences committed were of a serious nature. Ong had cheated the rental company and made a “calculated choice” to leave the scene of the crime, DPP Teo added.
Ong’s lawyer, Sivanathan Wijaya, said that Ong did not gain financially from the cheating charges and asked the court to consider reformative training for him.
“There is no doubt that this tragic episode will haunt (my client) forever,” said the lawyer.
Ong’s case has been adjourned to 20 August pending a report to consider his suitability for reformative training.
