Man parked lorry on expressway and went to sleep, caused death of van driver; jailed 9 months

Anderson Rozario Esep M. was jailed for nine months after he parked his vehicle in the middle of the expressway and went to sleep, causing the death of another driver, Mr Chin Kin Siong, when the latter crashed into him 30 minutes late
Anderson Rozario Esep M. was jailed for nine months after he parked his vehicle in the middle of the expressway and went to sleep, causing the death of another driver, Mr Chin Kin Siong, when the latter crashed into him 30 minutes later. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

SINGAPORE - A lorry driver parked his vehicle in the middle of the expressway and went to sleep, and another driver was killed when he crashed into him 30 minutes later.

On Thursday, Anderson Rozario Esep M, 24, a Malaysian, was sentenced to nine months in prison, and banned from driving for 10 years.

A district court also imposed a prohibition order on Rozario for the same period, to stop him from driving into Singapore using a foreign licence.

He pleaded guilty last Monday to causing the death of Mr Chin Kin Siong, 54.

The night before the incident on July 30, he had slept in his lorry in an open air carpark after drinking at a coffee shop.

He woke up around 5am and set off for home, but stopped the vehicle along the Pan-Island Expressway towards Changi Airport, on the second lane from the right.

Then he turned off the engine and lights before falling asleep.

Spotting the danger, another truck driver stopped on the road shoulder nearby.

He shouted to Rozario but couldn't wake him, so he stood at the road shoulder and waved a torchlight to warn oncoming vehicles.

But Mr Chin was unable to avoid the vehicle in time, and his van slammed into the lorry at about 6.14am. He suffered multiple injuries, including fractures and a crushed leg, and died a few hours later in hospital.

For rashly causing Mr Chin's death, Rozario could have been jailed up to five years and fined.

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