Woman admits she took the blame after male colleague drove into traffic light pole

SINGAPORE – A woman, who shouldered the blame after

her male colleague struck a traffic light pole while driving her home

, pleaded guilty on April 17 to performing an act that could obstruct the course of justice.

Chin Wei Yeeng, 31, and her colleague Yuen Zheng Wen, 36, are expected to be sentenced on May 16.

On March 25, Yuen pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, resulting in a collision.

He also admitted to being part of a conspiracy to perform an act that could obstruct the course of justice.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim told the court that the pair, who were friends, had earlier dined with their colleagues at a restaurant in Keng Lee Road, near Newton Road, from 6pm to 10.30pm on Feb 16, 2024.

During the meal, Yuen drank three or four glasses of wine, while Chin drank just one.

Yuen later offered to drive Chin to her home in his car, and she accepted.

At around 10.35pm, Yuen was attempting to make a turn from Moulmein Road onto the Central Expressway when he lost control of his vehicle, which accidentally mounted a kerb and struck a traffic light pole.

Chin, who was seated in the front passenger seat, then suggested that she take the blame for the collision and offered to swop seats with him.

Yuen accepted the offer and shortly before 11pm, two traffic police officers arrived at the scene.

One of the policemen approached the pair and questioned them over the circumstances of the collision.

DPP Lim said: “In response, (Chin) claimed that she was the driver of the vehicle, and that she had drunk one glass of wine prior to driving the vehicle.

“Yuen represented the same set of facts to the officers. Both parties made the claims despite knowing that they were untrue.”

The two policemen then administered a breathalyser test on Chin, who failed it.

The officers did not administer one on Yuen, as they had believed Chin saying she was the one driving the car at the time.

They also allowed Yuen to leave and did not take him in for questioning.

Chin was arrested for drink driving and was taken to the Traffic Police Headquarters in Ubi Ave 3 for another test.

After this test, Chin was found to have 49 micrograms of alcohol in every 100ml of breath.

The prescribed limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol in the same amount of breath.

At 2.12am on Feb 17, 2024, the authorities recorded a statement from Chin in which she reiterated that she was the driver of the car when the accident occurred. She was later released on bail.

Feeling remorseful, Yuen decided to turn himself in that day and admitted to what he had done.