SINGAPORE: A man who ran a red light at Punggol and collided with a teenager crossing the road, causing his death, was sentenced to two years’ jail and banned from driving for 10 years on Monday (Dec 18).
Firhan Aqil Mohamad Amran, 25, had pleaded guilty to a single charge of dangerous driving causing death.
The court heard that on Oct 10, 2022, the 14-year-old victim was making his way home from school. As it was the examination period, school hours were shorter and he could head home early.
He stopped at a pedestrian crossing along Sumang Walk towards Sumang Link, as the traffic light signal for pedestrians was red at the time.
The boy began to cross the road when the traffic light signal turned to a green man. Correspondingly, the signal for vehicles was red at the time.
Meanwhile, Firhan was driving to his father’s home. He failed to obey the red light and collided into the victim, flinging him a distance away.
Firhan stopped his car after he felt the impact. A nearby witness immediately checked on the boy and observed that he was bleeding from his ears and unresponsive.
The victim was taken to Sengkang General Hospital unconscious, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries and died on Nov 2, 2022.
MITIGATION
Firhan’s defence lawyer Justin Ng Cho Yang called for him to receive the mandatory minimum punishment of two years’ jail and 10 years’ ban from driving.
Mr Ng argued that Firhan had cooperated with authorities throughout investigations and pleaded guilty early, also showing “genuine remorse”.
He described Firhan’s dangerous driving as an “error of judgment”, rather than him taking a conscious risk to beat a red light.
The accused had believed that a green traffic light signal at a further junction meant that he had the right of way to proceed straight, said Mr Ng.
However, the traffic light at the location of the accident was red when his car collided with the victim.
The accused also had a clean driving record, said the lawyer.
Firhan “recognises that there is nothing he can say or do that will ever be sufficient to make up for the tragic loss” of the teenager, said Mr Ng.
“The accused sincerely apologises to the victim’s family and hopes that they will find closure.”
For dangerous driving causing death, Firhan could have been jailed up to eight years.