SINGAPORE - A freelance artist who knocked down a pedestrian while making a right turn at a signalised traffic junction in Woodlands was jailed for five weeks and banned from driving all vehicles for five years on Wednesday (Aug 23).

The pedestrian, Ms Lee Kiat, 62, later died.

Eric Israel Teow Kok Hua, 57, pleaded guilty to failing to keep a proper look out and causing the death of Ms Lee.

Teow was making a right turn at the junction of Woodlands Drive 65 and Woodlands Avenue 6 at about 8.10pm on Jan 16 (2017). Deputy Public Prosecutor Crystal Tan said the traffic light was green, in Teow's favour. Teow, who was driving a Toyota, was the first car in the right turning lane of the two-lane road in Woodlands Drive 65.

Ms Lee was crossing the road and was about halfway across the road - the pedestrian crossing "green man" was still in her favour - when she was knocked down by Teow's car.

She was flung forward and landed in the left lane of the road, some distance from the pedestrian crossing. Two motorists told police that they saw Teow maintain his speed, without slowing down, when he was making the right turn.

Ms Lee was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and she died four days later, on Jan 20, from head injuries.

Teow's lawyer Lim Kim Hong, who asked that her client be given a fine, said Teow was the sole breadwinner in his family and he was very remorseful. She said he teaches art to young children and has stopped driving after the incident.

The prosecutor asked that Teow be given a sentence of six weeks' jail and a five-year disqualification. She said Teow did not slow down and would have seen the pedestrian if he had checked. She said the victim had nearly finished crossing the road when she was knocked down.

Teow could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing hurt through his negligence.