Driver in Lucky Plaza crash that killed 2 women expected to plead guilty on Sept 24
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Chong Kim Hoe (right, as seen on Sept 20, 2020) was driving a car near Lucky Plaza in 2019 when it ploughed into six Filipino women, killing two of them.
PHOTOS: PHV RIDERS AND DRIVERS SINGAPORE/FACEBOOK, ST FILE
SINGAPORE - A man blamed for the 2019 Lucky Plaza crash that killed two women is expected to admit to the charges he is facing on Sept 24.
This emerged following Chong Kim Hoe's pre-trial conference on Friday (Aug 20).
The 65-year-old Malaysian had indicated last month that he wanted to plead guilty but no plea was taken then, as he had disputed portions of the court documents.
Chong, a Singapore permanent resident, was driving a car near Lucky Plaza in 2019 when it ploughed into six Filipino women, killing two of them.
The other four were injured, three of them grievously.
In September last year, he was charged with three counts of dangerous driving.
Chong had allegedly engaged the accelerator as he was making a U-turn on Nutmeg Road near the Orchard Road shopping mall at around 5pm on Dec 29, 2019.
He is said to have driven onto a footpath and crashed through a guard rail before landing on a Lucky Plaza service road, hitting the six women.
Ms Abigail Danao Leste, 41, and Ms Arlyn Picar Nucos, 50, died as a result of the accident.
Ms Egnal Layugan Limbauan and Ms Laila Flores Laudencia, both 44, and Ms Arceli Picar Nucos, 56, suffered grievous hurt.
Ms Demet Limbauan Limbauan, 37, was also injured.
Ms Arlyn Picar Nucos was Ms Arceli Picar Nucos' sister. All six women worked as domestic helpers here.
The manager of a Lucky Plaza travel agency, Mr Daniel Mendoza, then 34, witnessed the aftermath.
He told The Straits Times in December 2019 that he was on a pavement near the shopping mall when the accident occurred.
He added: "Everyone was, of course, shocked and many were screaming 'help, God, help, God'."
Following the crash, more than $360,000 was raised for the victims in an online fund raiser that closed on Jan 6 last year.
According to figures on fund-raising website Giving.sg, the Centre for Domestic Employees and the Domestic Employees Welfare Fund took about a week to raise the sum from nearly 3,000 donors.
The money is meant to help the four injured women and the dependants of the two dead women.
