SINGAPORE – A lorry driver allegedly involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident in August 2023 that killed a pedestrian in Jurong was arrested in Malaysia, and charged in court here on March 16.
Malaysian Safuan Tehda, 35, was handed one charge of dangerous driving causing death.
According to his charge sheet, Safuan allegedly drove a lorry on Aug 25, 2023, at about 9.30am, and hit Mr Goh Eng Loo at the junction of Jurong West Avenue 2 and Bulim Avenue.
Safuan had purportedly failed to stop and give way at the zebra crossing as Mr Goh was crossing it.
The police said in a news release on March 15 that Mr Goh, 57, was taken conscious to the hospital, where he died.
Safuan did not stop to help him nor report the accident to the police within 24 hours, said the police. He immediately fled to Malaysia.
Through evidence, including video footage, from a witness and the Land Transport Authority, officers from the Traffic Police (TP) and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority identified the driver and the lorry’s vehicle registration number on the same day.
Safuan was arrested in Malaysia on March 14, more than six months after the accident. The State Courts in Singapore had issued a warrant for his arrest.
Safuan was handed over to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) on March 15.
According to court records, Safuan told the court he intends to plead guilty. His case will be heard again on March 25.
SPF said the arrest was made with help from the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP).
The TP commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police (SAC) Daniel Tan, said the Singapore police appreciated RMP’s assistance, and they will spare no efforts to bring to justice motorists who commit serious traffic offences and flee Singapore.
If convicted, Safuan can be jailed for between two and eight years, and disqualified from driving for 10 years.
Safuan is the second driver charged in 2024 who fled to Malaysia after a fatal accident in Singapore.
On Feb 9, Malaysian Pua Yui Loon, 27, was handed five charges linked to a fatal accident that happened on Feb 6 on the Bukit Timah Expressway.
Pua had allegedly driven a vehicle that collided with Mr Joshua Chiam Chee Wai’s motorbike. Mr Chiam, 22, died while his pillion rider, Ms Siti Noor Diyana Abdul Rahim, 23, was seriously injured.
Pua allegedly failed to stop after the accident and fled to Malaysia. He was arrested on Feb 7 when he tried to enter Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint.
In 2023, 136 people were killed in traffic accidents, a 25.9 per cent jump from the 108 deaths in 2022, said TP in its annual statistics report in February.
The 136 fatalities are the highest since 2016, and exceeded the pre-Covid 19 figure of 118 deaths in 2019.
The report also noted more fatal accidents involving speeding, drink driving and running the red light. SAC Tan said then that TP was concerned about the increase in road fatalities.
To tackle this issue, TP will increase the composition sums and demerit points for certain traffic offences. More details will be announced in 2024.
