AN OFF-DUTY police corporal had apparently raced with another car at high speed before crashing his car into a tree, killing him and his girlfriend, a coroner's court heard.
Mr Ng Soon Kiat's white Mitsubishi Colt was a total wreck and the 25-year-old had to be extricated by civil defence officers along Jurong Town Hall Road at about 1.45am on Aug 30 last year.
His girlfriend, Ms Lin Mei Yan, also 25, who was not belted up, was thrown out of the car.
Both died from multiple injuries.
At a joint inquiry into their deaths, the court heard that Mr Ng had a previous conviction for speeding six months before the accident. He also had compounded an offence of careless driving in 2004.
An investigation report stated that an independent eye witness, Mr Tan Yong Seng, 37, saw Mr Ng speeding with another unknown black car along Jurong Town Hall Road in the direction of Bukit Batok.
At one point, the black car overtook Mr Ng's vehicle and sped off without any contact.
It was then that Mr Ng lost control of his car which veered right, hit the kerb on the centre divider and slammed a tree.
The court heard they were speeding at around 130kmh up to 160kmh then.
Mr Ng had fetched his girlfriend from her part-time studies in Shenton Way before meeting some friends at East Park.
He was sending her home to Teck Whye when the accident happened.
State Coroner Earnest Lau recorded a verdict of negligence by Mr Ng on the death of Ms Lin. He found Mr Ng's death to be an accident and recorded a misadventure verdict.
