A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) associate professor was driving his car along the Pan-Island Expressway when he allegedly endangered the safety of another motorist.
Wang Jianliang is accused of driving in a rash manner by intentionally applying the emergency brake twice, causing Mr Samuel Lim Yong Soon's car to hit the rear of his vehicle on March 16, 2017.
According to court documents, Wang allegedly used criminal force on Mr Lim by grabbing the latter's right arm at around 6pm that day.
He is also accused of committing mischief by hitting the bonnet of Mr Lim's car four times, causing $2,171 in damage.
On Monday, a district court heard that Wang is expected to plead guilty to the offences on Jan 22.
Wang, 60, who first appeared in court in November last year, faces three charges - driving in a rash manner, using criminal force and committing mischief.
According to the NTU website, the Singaporean was a lecturer at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics between 1988 and 1990. He has been with NTU's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering since 1990.
Wang is represented by lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam and is out on bail of $5,000.
NTU told The Straits Times on Monday that it would be inappropriate to comment on the case as it is before the courts.
If convicted of driving in a rash manner, Wang can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,500.
And if convicted of committing mischief, he can be jailed for up to two years and fined.
Wang is not the first local academic in recent months to make the headlines over offences committed while driving a vehicle.
National University of Singapore professor Henry Yeung Wai Chung, 50, was fined the maximum $5,000 in November last year after pleading guilty to dangerous driving. He was also disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for 13 months.
Yeung had been caught on video driving his Maserati in a dangerous manner along Lorong Chuan in September last year.
He also has a history of traffic offences. The court heard that he had been fined up to $200 for each of his three earlier offences committed between 2012 and 2016 - namely for speeding, inconsiderate driving and careless driving.
