Test drive costs student $70k after crash
11 May 2013|7,865 views
A student who was given a test drive in a Dutch-made Spyker C8 Spyder SWB sports car at a private race track will have to pay more than $70,000 in damages after crashing it.
According to a court judgment published yesterday, Mr Liew had been given a briefing on the car's capabilities and how he should drive it, including a demonstration lap driven by driving instructor Martijn Schilte.
But while negotiating a series of turns, the National University of Singapore undergraduate lost control of the car, which spun anti-clockwise, hit the kerb and landed back on the tarmac.
He will have to pay damages to luxury vehicle importer and distributer Auto Palace after the district court found he had driven at a speed that was non-commensurate with his abilities.
Before the test laps, Mr Liew had signed a form that required drivers to indemnify Auto Palace against any loss or damage. But he mistakenly put his signature in the witness' column and failed to provide his name and identity card number.
Auto Palace, a subsidiary of Hong Seh Motor, sought compensation for costs including repairing the car and fixing the kerbs.
District Judge Seah Chi Ling said Mr Liew had driven in a way that was inconsistent with what a reasonable and prudent man would have done in a similar situation. He added that Auto Palace had adequately proven the reasonableness of each of the amounts claimed.
A student who was given a test drive in a Dutch-made Spyker C8 Spyder SWB sports car at a private race track will have to pay more than $70,000 in damages after crashing it.
Mr Sean Liew Cheng En was 22 when he turned up for the invite-only event in 2009.
According to a court judgment published yesterday, Mr Liew had been given a briefing on the car's capabilities and how he should drive it, including a demonstration lap driven by driving instructor Martijn Schilte.
But while negotiating a series of turns, the National University of Singapore undergraduate lost control of the car, which spun anti-clockwise, hit the kerb and landed back on the tarmac.
He will have to pay damages to luxury vehicle importer and distributer Auto Palace after the district court found he had driven at a speed that was non-commensurate with his abilities.
Before the test laps, Mr Liew had signed a form that required drivers to indemnify Auto Palace against any loss or damage. But he mistakenly put his signature in the witness' column and failed to provide his name and identity card number.
Auto Palace, a subsidiary of Hong Seh Motor, sought compensation for costs including repairing the car and fixing the kerbs.
District Judge Seah Chi Ling said Mr Liew had driven in a way that was inconsistent with what a reasonable and prudent man would have done in a similar situation. He added that Auto Palace had adequately proven the reasonableness of each of the amounts claimed.
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