SINGAPORE - A delivery driver who hit an elderly pedestrian while reversing his lorry at a carpark service road was jailed for three weeks and banned from driving for three years on Friday (June 10).

Ng Lam Huat, 60, who pleaded guilty, had failed to keep a proper lookout while reversing into the carpark service road of Block 802, French Road, and hit Madam Ooi Ah Heok, 76, thus causing her death on Oct 12 last year.

A court heard that Ng, who was accompanied by Mr Liang Pei Jian, wanted to reverse the lorry into the left side of the carpark service road between Blocks 801 and 802 so that the two of them could deliver goods to Block 802.

Given the size of the lorry - 9.7m long and 2.4m wide - there were multiple blind spots which Ng could not see from the driver's seat, even when using his mirrors.

Despite this, he failed to take reasonable precautions to ensure that there was no pedestrian behind the lorry before reversing.

Neither did he alight to check nor asked Mr Liang to get down to act as a lookout while he reversed the lorry.

At this time, Madam Ooi was walking on the pavement beside the carpark service road slightly ahead of the lorry.

She then stepped onto the road, directly in the way of the lorry. As she carried on walking, the lorry continued to reverse until its rear wheels ran over her.

A witness at a coffee shop saw the collision and shouted at Ng to stop but he did not. Instead, he drove forward for a short distance, causing the lorry's rear wheels to run over Madam Ooi a second time. Ng then got down from the lorry.

The elderly woman died from multiple injuries in hospital 50 minutes later.

Ng, who has several traffic-related antecedents, pleaded for leniency, saying his two sons are still schooling, and he needs the lorry to make deliveries.

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