SINGAPORE: Distracted as he was looking for a parking lot, a deliveryman did not see an elderly woman and drove over her foot, crushing it.
Tan Kim Hock, a 38-year-old Singaporean man, was fined S$2,500 (S$1,880) by a court on Wednesday (Dec 20) and banned from driving for eight months.
He pleaded guilty to one count of causing hurt by a negligent act endangering personal safety by failing to exercise reasonable care when driving.
The court heard that Tan was delivering goods for his company on the morning of May 18.
He drove into a service road at 460 Alexandra Road. After passing the gantry, he drove forward, looking for an empty space to park so he could unload his company’s goods.
At the same time, the victim, 61-year-old Madam Ang Siew Wah, crossed the road. Footage of the collision played in court showed that she did not see the van until it hit her, sending her surging backwards onto the ground.
Tan did not keep a proper lookout for the victim and the right side of his van collided with her when she was halfway across the road. He was shown in the CCTV footage alighting to check on her, along with other passers-by.
The woman was admitted to hospital with a deformed left foot, abrasions and bruises. She was diagnosed with a crush injury on her foot, with an open fracture of her big toe and a fractured foot bone.
Mdm Ang was warded in hospital from May 18 to May 23 and received 45 days’ hospitalisation leave from May 18 to Jul 1.
The prosecution sought a fine of S$2,000 to S$2,500 for Tan, and a driving ban of eight to 10 months.
Tan’s lawyer, Mr Ramesh Chandra, said there was a big white lorry near the entrance obscuring his client’s view of the victim until she was almost halfway across the road.
“The victim herself was negligent. She had totally failed to check for oncoming vehicles and had even crossed the road at an angle,” he said.
“All this is not in dispute and had been acknowledged by the prosecution themselves. Just before this collision, there was another gentleman who was crossing the road, and he had in fact stopped and checked and allowed vehicles to cross,” said Mr Chandra.
He said if the victim had done this, the accident would not have happened at all.
However, he acknowledged that his client was aware of his negligence. He said Tan had been looking to the left for any parking space.
“He’s been so traumatised by this he has given up driving altogether,” said the lawyer, adding that Tan now holds a job that does not involve driving.
He said he had wanted to compensate the victim, but was told not to have any contact with her.
The prosecution said they were not seeking compensation but believed that the victim would be seeking compensation “through her own means”.
For causing hurt by a negligent act endangering personal safety, Tan could have been jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$5,000, or both.