A 63-year-old driver who fled the scene after his lorry hit a pedestrian was jailed for seven months and banned from driving for six years yesterday.

Ramasamy Kannapraan ran a red light at a traffic junction in Sungei Kadut on April 16, and his lorry struck a pedestrian using the signalised pedestrian crossing.

Chinese national Liu Zhaolong, 38, was flung onto the road surface and suffered multiple rib fractures.

Ramasamy pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt; failing to stop after the accident and failing to help the pedestrian. A fourth charge of moving his vehicle from the location was taken into consideration in sentencing.

The court heard that Ramasamy was driving along Sungei Kadut Street 1 when he ran the red traffic light at the junction with Sungei Kadut Avenue. He did not stop or help Mr Liu after the accident, but drove off instead.

A 25-year-old motorcyclist who saw the collision called the police and chased after the lorry driver.

He caught up with Ramasamy, stopped him, and asked for his identification details. After taking a picture of Ramasamy's driving licence, the motorcyclist told him to wait for the police to arrive.

But when the witness went back to the scene of the accident to check on the victim, Ramasamy drove off. Mr Liu was taken to hospital and warded until May 9. He was given hospitalisation leave till July.

Ramasamy, whose sentence was backdated to Oct 7, could have been jailed for up to four years and fined up to $10,000 for causing grievous hurt by acting rashly to endanger life.

For failing to stop, he could have been fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months. The maximum penalty for not rendering assistance is a $3,000 fine or 12 months' jail.

Elena Chong