SINGAPORE - A man drove a bus without the proper licence and insurance for it. He knocked down an elderly pedestrian, who lost the lower part of her right leg as a result. He was fined, jailed and banned from driving on Friday (July 22).

Wong Chok Sun, 47, was fined $800 for driving the mini-bus without a Class 4 driving licence. He was fined another $600, given a two-week jail term and slapped with a 12-month driving ban - from the date of his conviction last month - for having no insurance coverage on Oct 14 last year, when the accident happened.

For causing grievous hurt, his punishment was the jail term and a three-year driving ban.

He had pleaded guilty to three charges.

Court documents said that he failed to give way to Madam Yong Soh Mui, 69, at a pedestrian crossing when he was making a right turn from Toa Payoh North into Lorong 1 Toa Payoh at about noon that day.

He thus hit Madam Yong, who suffered a serious head injury, fractures on her limbs, right pelvis and face. The court heard that she was more than halfway across the road when she was hit.

She was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and her right leg was amputated above the knee. She was discharged on Dec 30.

Investigation showed that Wong did not have a Class 4 licence as he had not renewed it after it had been revoked in 2006.

He could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000 for causing grievous hurt by a negligent act that endangered life.

For driving without a licence, he could have been fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months. For the insurance charge, the maximum punishment is a $1,000 fine, three months' jail and 12 months' disqualification.