SINGAPORE - A lorry driver drove across three lanes, crossed a 4.32m-wide chevron and cut into the path of a motorcyclist, who died after crashing into the lorry.
Motorcyclist Goh Boon Chong, 27, got pinned under the right rear tyre of Malaysian Paramaguru Ramasamy's lorry in Tuas West Road on Oct 19 (2016), at about 7.40am.
About 30 minutes later, Mr Goh, a Malaysian, was dead.
On Wednesday (Aug 23), Paramaguru, 34, was sentenced to four months' jail and banned from driving for five years. He admitted to failing to keep a proper look out when turning out from Tuas West Road, when he was cutting across the three-lane road.
His actions caused Mr Goh, who was travelling in the direction of Tuas South Avenue 3, to hit his lorry, thus causing his death.
Tuas West Road is a dual-carriageway with three lanes on each direction.
Paramaguru was supposed to turn left towards the direction of Tuas South Avenue 3. Instead, he tried to make a right turn into Tuas West Road towards the direction of Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Rene Jeyaraj said Paramaguru had to make the turn slowly into the opposite carriageway as there were vehicles travelling in the outermost lane.
As he made the right turn, he failed to keep a proper look out for oncoming vehicles.
When Paramaguru saw the motorcycle approaching, he accelerated, hoping to avoid a collision, but the motorcycle crashed into the lorry. It was raining at the time of the accident.
Mr Jeyaraj, who sought a sentence of six months' jail, said Paramaguru was driving a heavy vehicle, and that his negligence was worsened by his flagrant traffic violations.
He told District Judge Kenneth Yap that Paramaguru had compounded two offences for inconsiderate driving, and was cited three times for beating red lights, the last of which was on April 13 (2017).
The prosecutor said these traffic violations showed that Paramaguru had a tendency to show disregard for other road users.
Paramaguru was allowed to start his sentence on Aug 30. He could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligent act.
