Man to be charged with driving under influence of etomidate in Singapore’s first such case
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HSA detected etomidate in the man's blood sample in an analysis conducted after he was arrested.
PHOTOS: SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
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SINGAPORE – A 31-year-old man is set to be charged on Dec 18 with driving under the influence of etomidate, in the first such case in Singapore.
The man, who was involved in an accident in Bras Basah Road on July 14, is also expected to be charged with dangerous driving, the police said in a statement on Dec 17.
This will be the first case where a motorist will be charged with a traffic offence involving etomidate abuse, they added.
On July 14, the man had allegedly driven against the flow of traffic in Supreme Court Lane between 5.40pm and 6.30pm.
Amid heavy traffic, he drove straight through a traffic junction on a right-turn-only lane and into the path of another vehicle without slowing down.
This resulted in a collision with the other vehicle in Bras Basah Road, in the direction of Raffles Boulevard near Bencoolen Street, the police said.
When police officers arrived at the scene, they found that the man showed signs of impairment, including slurred speech, drooping eyelids and delayed responses to questions.
He could not give a coherent account of how the accident occurred, the police said, adding that he tested negative on a breath analyser test.
Three e-vaporisers and a packet of contraband cigarettes were found in his car after the police conducted a search.
The man was arrested and a subsequent blood analysis by the Health Sciences Authority detected etomidate in his blood sample.
Etomidate and its analogues were classified as Class C controlled drugs
Those found guilty of driving under the influence of a drug can be fined between $2,000 and $10,000, jailed for up to 12 months or both.
The penalty for dangerous driving is a fine of up to $5,000, a jail term of up to 12 months or both.
In both instances, offenders can also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
In their statement, the police stressed that driving under the influence of drugs is extremely dangerous and irresponsible.
They added that etomidate had impaired the man’s judgment and it was fortunate that no one was injured in the accident.
“The police will take very tough action against motorists who drive under the influence of drugs, psychoactive substances, intoxicating substances or alcohol,” they said.
