Teen e-bike rider admits to injuring 2 people in hit-and-run accident

SINGAPORE – After a teenager ran a red light on his electric bicycle and knocked down two pedestrians, he fled the scene.

One of his victims was a 33-year-old woman in a wheelchair, who suffered head injuries from the accident and was hospitalised for six days.

The 19-year-old Singaporean was on Aug 30 convicted of dangerous driving and housebreaking. He cannot be named as he was below 18 when he committed one of his offences.

Another four charges, including failure to render assistance after an accident, will be taken into consideration for his sentencing on Sept 23.

District Judge Carol Ling called for a report to assess if the offender is suitable for reformative training.

Reformative training is a more severe punishment than probation and results in a criminal record. It involves being detained in a reformative training centre for six to 12 months to attend rehabilitative programmes and counselling.

The court heard that the offender broke into a minimart in Tiong Bahru on four occasions in April and May to commit theft. He sneaked into the shop early in the morning by raising the shutters and crawling in.

He stole a total of $3,910 from the shop and four packs of cigarettes. He used the funds on illegal gambling sites and to buy parts for his unregistered electric bicycle.

On July 11 at around 7.30pm, the offender was making a food delivery when he ran the red light at the junction of Vista Exchange Green in Buona Vista.

He

hit two people

who were crossing the road on a green light. Video footage from an in-car camera captured the offender hitting the pedestrians as they crossed.

When passers-by stopped to help, the offender sped away on his bicycle.

One of the victims, a 31-year-old woman from the Philippines, suffered minor injuries and was discharged from hospital that same day. The other person who was hit, the 33-year-old woman in a wheelchair, suffered swelling and bruises on her head.

In mitigation, the offender pleaded for leniency, saying he was remorseful for his actions and that his family was facing some problems.

For dangerous driving, an offender can be fined up to $10,000 and jailed for up to two years.

The offence of housebreaking carries a maximum punishment of 10 years’ jail and a fine.