Jail for e-scooter rider who caused woman's skull injury

A man rode an unregistered e-scooter against the flow of traffic in Selegie Road last October and struck a pedestrian, causing her to suffer a fractured skull.

The victim, Ms Shi Xueqi, 24, also had subdural haematoma, a condition where blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain.

Although she was discharged three days later, the court heard that she continues to experience occasional giddiness.

E-scooter rider Chen Yue, 61, was sentenced yesterday to six weeks' jail and a fine of $500.

The Chinese national had pleaded guilty to one count each of riding an unregistered e-scooter and causing grievous hurt to Ms Shi by riding the device in a rash manner.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Teo said that Chen bought the e-scooter last September and knew that he had to register it.

He did not do so, as he wanted to sell the device.

At about 4pm on Oct 23 last year, he was riding the e-scooter on a footpath in Selegie Road on his way to meet a potential buyer when he noticed that there were many pedestrians in the vicinity.

He decided to ride the e-scooter against the flow of traffic on the road at a speed of around 15kmh.

Ms Shi stepped off the footpath about 10 minutes later to cross the road when the device slammed into her, causing her to fall.

The prosecutor said: "(Chen) stopped the (device) on the right side of the road and looked back, whereupon he saw the victim lying face down on the road, bleeding from her mouth and face.

"He carried her to the side of the road and onto the footpath. A crowd of pedestrians gathered, and one of them called for an ambulance. The accused stayed until the police arrived."

Ms Shi was taken to hospital, and a medical report from the National Neuroscience Institute later stated that she had subdural haematoma and a fractured skull.

She was discharged on Oct 26 last year and given 31 days of hospitalisation leave.

Yesterday, the court heard that her medical fees were fully covered by insurance.

Chen also made a voluntary compensation of $8,000 to her on May 4.

For causing grievous hurt to Ms Shi by riding his e-scooter in a rash manner, he could have been jailed for up to four years and fined up to $10,000.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 22, 2020, with the headline Jail for e-scooter rider who caused woman's skull injury. Subscribe