A taxi driver whose vehicle hit a student at a zebra crossing in 2017, leaving her with traumatic brain injuries, was yesterday sentenced to three months' jail and banned from driving for two years.

Cabby Eu Hock Leng, 64, had pleaded guilty to one count of committing a rash act.

The girl was in the midst of her A-level exams at the time and not only missed the rest of her papers but has also not managed to complete her A levels since.

Almost a year after the accident that took place on Nov 17, 2017, she still had difficulties in comprehension, planning and numerical problem solving.

The court heard that Eu was driving at over 20kmh in Bukit Batok West Avenue 7 at around 7.30pm that day when he hit the girl, who was then 18.

He had not noticed the zebra crossing as he was checking his cab's mobile display terminal for a booking.

His taxi mounted the elevated zebra crossing and hit the victim, who was just a few metres from reaching the other side of the road, according to court documents.

She was flung onto the road. Eu stopped the vehicle and got out to check on the victim, who was observed to be semi-conscious and drowsy. She cried and vomited.

A bystander who was at a nearby bus stop when the accident happened at the zebra crossing called the ambulance.

A friend of the victim who was in the vicinity learnt of the accident and rushed to the scene, where she confronted a frantic Eu.

The cabby said he had been driving at a low speed and that his car did not have any dents or scratches from the accident.

"He exclaimed 'aiyah', before saying he had picked up a call and did not see the victim. He lamented that the victim was so close to the pavement, and that she almost made it," said court documents, quoting the friend.

The victim, who suffered brain contusions and fractures and lost her sense of smell, was hospitalised for 15 days.

She then had to undergo intensive rehabilitation treatment, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.

A medical report dated Aug 2, 2018, showed that she could still be at risk of long-term conditions resulting from her injuries, despite recovering from the complications of her acute traumatic brain injury.

She had difficulties multi-tasking and was mildly impaired in terms of planning, comprehending and recalling things heard, as well as in her numerical problem solving abilities, according to the report.

Court documents said she "experienced a tremendous sense of loss", still suffers from backaches when sitting on the floor and is affected emotionally when she is reminded of the incident.