Driver swerved in order to hit me: Cyclist

A cyclist, who was caught on a viral video having an altercation with a lorry driver in Pasir Ris, told a district court yesterday that the driver had "intentionally swerved" his vehicle and hit him.

On the second day of lorry driver Teo Seng Tiong's trial, British national Eric Cheung Hoyu said Teo then hurled obscenities at him.

Mr Cheung, 35, told District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt that Teo's tone of voice was "aggressive". He also said the driver drove off without leaving behind his name and contact details.

Teo, a 58-year-old Singaporean, is claiming trial to one count each of causing hurt to Mr Cheung by performing a rash act as well as failing to report the accident to the police within 24 hours.

For his role in the incident, Mr Cheung was fined $2,800 in April. He had pleaded guilty to two charges - one of committing mischief and also to an offence under the Road Traffic Act.

Shortly before the incident, Mr Cheung and a friend were cycling on the left lane of the two-lane Pasir Ris Drive 3 around 11.45am on Dec 22 last year.

The Straits Times earlier reported that Teo tried to overtake Mr Cheung by using the right lane but could not do so as there were other motorists on the road. Mr Cheung later raised his right hand and struck the lorry's side-view mirror, breaking off portions of the mirror.

Earlier court documents stated that Teo's lorry then swerved to the left and collided with Mr Cheung, who fell off his bicycle onto a grass verge.

Yesterday, Mr Cheung told the court: "I regret the fact that I struck his mirror." The court heard that after the accident, his $7,000 bicycle suffered damage that was "beyond repair".

When cross-examined by defence lawyer Chia Boon Teck, Mr Cheung admitted he, too, left the scene before the police arrived. When pressed by Mr Chia, Mr Cheung said the "ambulance people" told him he did not need to wait for the police to turn up.

He told Judge Chay he did not think he was injured at the time.

The court heard that Mr Cheung later consulted Dr Tan Seow Hwee at Parkway East Hospital as he felt pain in various parts of his body. Dr Tan, who also testified in court, said no fractures were found on Mr Cheung.

The trial will resume tomorrow. Teo is out on bail of $5,000.