AT THE COURTS

Man with multiple driving offences fined $4k over crash with motorcyclist

A man, who was fined 15 times for driving offences in the past two decades, failed to keep a lookout, resulting in his car hitting a motorcyclist.

The 60-year-old victim suffered a fractured hip and broken wrist, and needed surgery.

Yesterday, Wu Heng Swee, 55, was fined $4,000 and disqualified from driving for two years for failing to keep a proper lookout.

Court documents did not state his occupation.

On Oct 20, 2019, Mr Mazlie Saini pulled up at the junction of Choa Chu Kang Drive and the entry into the Kranji Expressway, Deputy Public Prosecutor Yee Jia Rong told the court.

At the time, around 8.40pm, Mr Mazlie was waiting for the signal to turn right to the expressway.

DPP Yee said: "As (Wu) approached the junction, he failed to keep a proper lookout of where he was going, and did not notice the victim's motorcycle in the same lane and in his path of travel.

"The accused collided with the victim's motorcycle, causing the victim to fall off his bike."

Wu stopped his car on the side of the road and headed back to the junction to assist the victim, who was later taken to hospital.

At the time of the collision, DPP Yee said the weather was fine, roads were dry and the traffic flow was moderate. He urged the judge to issue a $4,000 fine and three-year ban from driving.

He listed 15 driving-related offences committed by Wu since 2000, such as driving against the flow of traffic, speeding and ignoring red lights.

Wu asked the judge not to suspend his licence as he needed to drive to look after his family.

The judge said: "There is no way of running away from this. You have a very poor driving record."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 25, 2021, with the headline Man with multiple driving offences fined $4k over crash with motorcyclist. Subscribe