SINGAPORE, Dec 18 — Singapore police are set to charge a 31-year-old man with driving under the influence of etomidate and dangerous driving today, marking the city state’s first traffic case involving the drug, according to police statements reported by The Straits Times.
The man was involved in a crash along Bras Basah Road on July 14 after allegedly driving against the flow of traffic in Supreme Court Lane for nearly an hour during the evening peak, police said.
Officers said he drove straight through a junction from a right-turn-only lane and into the path of another vehicle without slowing, causing a collision near the junction of Bras Basah Road and Bencoolen Street.
When officers arrived, they observed signs of impairment, including slurred speech, drooping eyelids and delayed responses. The man was unable to give a coherent account of how the crash occurred, police said, although he tested negative on a breathalyser.
A search of his vehicle uncovered three e-vaporisers and a packet of contraband cigarettes. He was arrested and later underwent a blood test, which detected etomidate, an anaesthetic drug that was classified as a Class C controlled substance under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act on September 1.
According to the Singapore-based daily, police said this would be the first time a motorist in Singapore is charged with a traffic offence involving etomidate abuse, a development that comes as authorities tighten controls on psychoactive substances.
If convicted of driving under the influence of a drug, the man faces a fine of between S$2,000 (RM6,300) and S$10,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
In Singapore, dangerous driving carries penalties of up to S$5,000 in fines, up to 12 months’ imprisonment, or both. In both cases, offenders may also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
In their statement, police warned that drug-impaired driving posed serious risks to public safety, adding that etomidate had affected the man’s judgment and that it was fortunate no one was injured.
“The police will take very tough action against motorists who drive under the influence of drugs, psychoactive substances, intoxicating substances or alcohol,” they said.
