A private bus driver has been sentenced to one year in jail and banned from driving for eight years after causing a fatal accident while bending down to pick up his mobile phone.
The deadly crash occurred at about 7.31am on Sept 6, 2024, along Tuas South 4 Drive in the direction of Tuas South 7 Drive.
According to a report by Shin Min Daily News, the accused, 68-year-old Chen Guoxing (transliteration), pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving. He was working as a private bus driver at the time of the incident.
The victim was a 64-year-old mini bus driver, who died at the scene from severe injuries.
Court documents revealed that Chen had started work at about 4am that day, ferrying passengers across the island. After dropping passengers off at Tuas South 10 Drive, he was on his way to Lakeside MRT station to pick up another group.
While driving in the second lane of Tuas South 4 Drive, Chen noticed that his mobile phone, which had been placed on the speedometer, slipped and fell. He bent down to retrieve it but failed to maintain control of the bus.
As a result, the bus veered left and crashed into a white mini bus that was parked along the roadside. The victim was standing beside the mini bus at the time and was struck in the collision, suffering catastrophic injuries.
Following the crash, Chen stopped his bus in the third lane to avoid obstructing traffic and asked a passer-by to call for an ambulance. Paramedics arrived to find the victim unresponsive, with no pulse or breathing, and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Dashboard camera footage from the bus captured the moment of impact. An autopsy later confirmed that the victim died from multiple injuries.
Vehicle damage reports showed extensive damage to the front of Chen’s bus, including scratches, dents, cracks and detached body parts. The mini bus also sustained damage to both its front and rear sections.
In court, the prosecution stated that Chen had failed to pay attention to road conditions, adding that drivers of heavy vehicles are expected to exercise a higher level of care.
It was also revealed that Chen had prior convictions for speeding in July 2014, March 2016 and June 2024. Prosecutors described him as a repeat offender and sought a jail term of 10 to 12 months, along with an eight-year driving disqualification.
The court ultimately sentenced Chen to 12 months’ imprisonment and disqualified him from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for eight years.
