SINGAPORE, Sept 25 — An underaged driver who drove into a taxi and a motorcycle, causing the death of a 45-year-old single mother, was sentenced to reformative training.
Yesterday, Ong Han You, now 20, was also disqualified from holding all classes of driving licences for eight years.
Ong was on August 13 convicted of one count of negligent driving causing death, another count of failing to render assistance after the accident, as well as one count of cheating.
Another five counts of similar offences — including causing grievous hurt to the motorcyclist — was taken into consideration during sentencing.
Sometime in December 2015, Ong, who was 17, picked up a wallet belonging to a stranger.
He took that stranger’s driver’s licence and identity card, with the intention of duping car rental companies into renting him cars for his personal use.
It was not stated how or when Ong learnt to drive.
In March 2016, Ong and a friend managed to rent a car, using the unknown stranger’s identity card.
On May 21 that year, Ong was driving his 15-year-old girlfriend from his home at Bukit Merah to Hougang, when he got into the accident that claimed the life of the 45-year-old woman.
As he approached the junction of Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 and Ang Mo Kio Industrial Park 2, Ong lost control of the rental car and his right hand slipped off the steering wheel.
His car collided into motorcyclist Lim Meng Peng, 55, and his pillion rider Lau Lee Kiaw, 45.
Lim had earlier stopped at the same junction, with the intention of making a right turn into the industrial park.
Ong’s car veered to the right, and collided into the rear of Lim’s motorcycle.
The impact flung Lim and Lau off the motorcycle onto a nearby grass patch.
Ong’s vehicle then crashed into a taxi coming from the opposite direction, before coming to a halt.
Ong later fled the scene with his girlfriend.
Lim, Lau and the cabby were taken to hospital, where Lau later succumbed to her injuries.
For causing death through negligent driving, Ong could have been jailed two years, and/or fined, and he could be disqualified from driving. — TODAY
