SINGAPORE - A lorry driver was fined $7,000 and banned from driving for three years on Wednesday for causing the death of a motorcyclist in a road accident.
Toh Chin Choon, 60, had pleaded guilty to failing to keep a proper lookout while making a right turn from Defu Lane 10 into Defu Avenue 1, resulting in a collision with the rider travelling straight along the main road of Defu Avenue 1.
The motorcyclist, Mr Lim Yi Jie, 30, a quality manager, died in hospital on April 19 this year, three days after the accident. He had remained in a comatose state.
A district court heard that Toh was making the right turn when he failed to keep a proper lookout for oncoming vehicles at the non-signalised T-junction of Defu Lane 10 by Defu Avenue 1 at 11.08pm on April 16.
He did not see Mr Lim's motorcycle approaching the junction until the motorcycle was only four to five lorry lengths away.
As a result, he failed to give way to the oncoming motorcycle, which could not stop in time and hit the lorry.
Mr Lim was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital where he died three days later without regaining consciousness.
Pleading for leniency, Toh said his financial position was weak and was on medication for hypertension.
He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligent act.
