SINGAPORE - A cement mixer driver was jailed for seven weeks and banned from driving all vehicles for five years on Wednesday, for running over and killing a lorry attendant in Jurong West.
Malaysian Nagarajan Ramaiyah, 51, pleaded guilty to causing the death of Mr Kamaraj Kannan, 23, by negligence along Bulim Avenue on Jan 15 this year.
He had failed to see the pedestrian standing on the left lane of the road before veering into the lane. The front left portion of the heavy motor vehicle hit Mr Kamaraj, dragging his body for a few metres.
A court heard that at about 11.35pm that day, Mr Kamaraj was waiting for one Samson Ramasamy to take him home on his motorcycle after alighting from a lorry, which was parked along the extreme left lane of Bulim Avenue.
Mr Samson arrived shortly and parked his motorcycle on the right side of the lorry to collect some items from the lorry.
As Mr Kamaraj was talking to the lorry driver, who was facing the road for oncoming vehicles, Nagarajan came along. He had been driving since 11.30am that day and that was his fifth trip for the day.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Adrianni Marhain said Nagarajan had spotted the lorry parked on the extreme left lane on the road shortly before the accident happened. But he did not keep a proper lookout and failed to notice the motorcycle as well as the two men standing on the road.
The lorry driver saw the cement mixer about 150m away and when it got nearer, it suddenly veered to the left towards them. He shouted "Eh" and tried to pull the deceased away, but it was too late.
The cement mixer rammed into the motorcycle and then Mr Kamaraj, dragging his body for a few metres. The left tyre ran over him before it came to a stop.
Mr Kamaraj was extricated from underneath the cement mixer by civil defence personnel. He suffered multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Pleading for leniency, Nagarajan, who was unrepresented, sought forgiveness from the victim's family for what he had done. The father of three said he was truly remorseful and regretted his action.
He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death through his negligence.
