SINGAPORE, June 30 — A driver here who caused the death of an 18-year-old pillion rider while speeding and swerving recklessly showed no remorse, even claiming the victim “deserved it”.
Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, 30, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving that led to the death of Leann Lim Jia Le, The Straits Times reported.
Tee, who was a student at the National University of Singapore and also worked as a part-time chef and social media influencer, was also banned from driving for 10 years.
Lim had been riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by her boyfriend, Kovan Tan, 27, when Tee swerved his car into them, causing her to be flung onto the road and suffer fatal brain injuries.
Tan survived the crash but sustained multiple abrasions and a laceration to his right hand.
The incident happened on the night of February 23, 2024, after Tee invited a friend, Vincent Loh, and two 16-year-old girls to go “grounding”, a slang term for aimless driving.
Later that night, Lim and her 16-year-old boyfriend joined the group, with Lim riding the motorcycle and her boyfriend joining Tee in his rented Mercedes-Benz.
While heading to East Coast Park via the East Coast Parkway, Tee raced Tan’s motorcycle, reaching speeds of up to 160kmh and playing dangerous “blocking and braking” games.
At one point, Tee asked his passengers if they wanted to see the motorcycle “fly”, and despite pleas from Lim’s boyfriend, Tee swerved his car to block the motorcycle, causing the crash.
After the accident, Tee told Loh that the motorcycle had hit him and later showed no regret, saying Lim’s death was deserved because she had provoked him.
