Ban and jail for bus driver who caused fatal accident

A bus driver was making a right turn when he failed to keep a proper lookout and hit a 62-year-old pedestrian at the signalised junction of Marymount Road.

Yesterday, Lau Siang Long, 53, was jailed for three weeks and banned from driving for five years for negligently causing the death of Madam Cheng Guorong.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap said that on April 28 last year, Lau had stopped some time before 6.20am for all passengers to alight in front of Bishan Park along Sin Ming Avenue.

He then drove the bus alone, intending to go to Kaki Bukit to pick up other workers.

At about 6.20am, he was driving along the rightmost lane of Sin Ming Avenue when he intended to make a right turn into Marymount Road towards Thomson Road.

When he approached the junction, the traffic lights were green in his favour, without the right-turn green arrow, and had been for some time before he reached the junction.

He then proceeded into the right turn pocket and made the right turn.

Madam Cheng was crossing the road when she was hit by the bus.

Lau felt that his bus had driven over what seemed like a bump, said DPP Yap. He stopped the bus, alighted and saw Madam Cheng lying near the left rear side of the vehicle.

Madam Cheng was unresponsive and died from multiple injuries at 7.36am at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Lau has had a number of compounded traffic records - twice each for speeding and careless driving, and once for failing to obey red light signals.

He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligent act.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 13, 2017, with the headline Ban and jail for bus driver who caused fatal accident. Subscribe