$7,000 fine and three-year driving ban for lorry driver

A lorry driver was fined $7,000 and banned from driving for three years today for causing the death of a motorcyclist in a road accident. The Straits Times reported that lorry driver Toh Chin Choon, had pleaded guilty to failing to keep a proper lookout while making a right turn from Defu Lane 10 into Defu Avenue 1 on 16^th April, resulting in a collision with a motorcyclist who was travelling straight along the main road of Defu Avenue 1.

The motorcyclist stayed in a state of coma and eventually passed away in Tan Tock Seng Hospital three days after the accident on the 19^th of April this year.

A district court heard that Toh was making the right turn, when he failed to keep a proper lookout for oncoming vehicles at the non-signalised T-junction of Defu Lane 10 by Defu Avenue 1 at 11:08pm. He did not see the deceased's motorcycle approaching the junction until the motorcycle was only four to five lorry lengths away. As a result, Toh failed to give way to the motorcycle which could not stop in time and hit the lorry.

Pleading for leniency, Toh said his financial position was weak and was on medication for hypertension. For his actions, Toh could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligent act.