SINGAPORE - A man accused of causing a policewoman’s death while driving in a negligent manner had consumed two glasses of white wine before the accident but later passed the breathalyser test.

American Andrew Charles Vasko, now 54, who was then driving within the speed limit, had allegedly failed to keep a proper lookout while driving an Aston Martin at around 9.20pm on Feb 10, 2019, and the car struck Staff Sergeant Salinah Mohamed, 40, as she was on her way home from work.

The mother-of-three, who was then working at the Marina Bay Neighbourhood Police Centre, was taken to Singapore General Hospital but died of a head injury four days later.

On the first day of Vasko’s trial on Tuesday, the court heard that the Singapore permanent resident had earlier consumed two glasses of white wine in Sentosa and had his last drink at around 7.45pm that day.

A search with Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority reveals that he is currently a director at a company called Iscann Group.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Stacey Fernandez said that he was later driving along Maxwell Road when he reached a signalised junction in Shenton Way.

He stopped at a red light and decided to make a discretionary right turn when the lights turned green in his favour.

There was no green arrow at the junction, the court heard.

Vasko was in the midst of making the turn when the front left portion of the car collided into Staff Sgt Salinah, who was crossing the road with the traffic light showing a blinking green man in her favour.

Staff Sgt Salinah was flung onto the road and sustained a severe head injury.

She was unconscious when rushed to SGH, where she was found with multiple skull fractures.

She was declared brain-dead on Feb 14, 2019, and was taken off life support.

Earlier news reports stated that she and her husband, chauffeur Indra Shaiful, then 41, were secondary school sweethearts.

They would have celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary in February 2019, and she had been planning an overseas trip with Mr Indra.

He had earlier said: “She was my soulmate, and she had always been there for me. It feels like I have lost a part of me.”

Vasko is represented by lawyers Remy Choo and Carol Yuen.

On Tuesday, Mr Choo made an application for his client to travel overseas from Wednesday to Jan 15, 2023.

His destination was not mentioned in court.

The court granted the application and Vasko is now out on bail of $10,000.

The case has been adjourned for a pre-trial conference on Nov 16.

For causing death by driving in a negligent manner, an offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined.