THE driver of a prime mover, who ran over an elderly jaywalker on March 20 last year, was fined $3,000 on Monday.
K. Manickam, 48, had pleaded guilty to being negligent by failing to maintain a proper lookout and causing the death of retiree Cheah Peng Yuen, 78, along West Coast Highway on 9pm that day.
A district court heard that he was then driving his prime mover, which was attached to an empty chassis, towards Tanjong Kling. He was intending to detach the chassis there and drive home. He had switched from the extreme left lane to the centre lane of the three-lane expressway when his vehicle hit Mr Cheah.
The retiree died on the spot from multiple injuries. Although the speed limit for the vehicle was 50kmh. Manickam admitted to going at about 65 to 70kmh.
Pleading for only a fine to be imposed, defence lawyer Akramjeet Singh Khaira said that Manickam had been driving a prime mover for 15 years without incident. His client, a father of two children aged six and eight, was also the sole breadwinner of his family, the lawyer added.
The court also ordered that Manickam be disqualified from driving for 11/2 years.
