A woman fractured her skull after a near-collision with a rider on an e-scooter in Woodlands.

The rider, 37-year-old Tham Chee Boon, pleaded guilty on Sep. 11, 2019 to causing grievous hurt by riding an e-scooter in a negligent manner.

Startled so much she fell backwards and hit her head

The incident occurred on March 29, 2018 at Woodlands Avenue 5, reported The Straits Times.

At a traffic junction near Block 362, the woman, Yeo Eng Koong, had just crossed the traffic crossing when she heard loud music approaching.

Tham had been heading home from work as a paramedic at the Woodlands Fire Station.

Yeo apparently stepped out from behind a traffic box, and Tham spotted her too late.

Travelling at around 10km/h, he applied the brakes and managed to avoid hitting Yeo.

However, the 53-year-old was so startled that she stumbled backwards and fell.

She hit her head and reportedly lost consciousness for around a minute.

Rider assisted victim, who was admitted to the ICU

Tham immediately went to Yeo's aid, according to Yahoo.

He held her head still to prevent any further injuries.

He also asked another passer-by to call the ambulance.

After Yeo regained consciousness, she reportedly complained of dizziness and even vomited a few times.

She was then taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where doctors discovered she had a skull fracture and a blood clot in the brain.

Yeo subsequently underwent craniotomy surgery to remove the blood clot, and required 30 stitches to her skull.

She was also in intensive care for two days and went in and out of the hospital for the next 13 days.

Yeo's medical expenses reportedly amounted to S$18,000 while her dental surgery cost another S$4,900, and was given three months of medical leave

Despite the accident being more than a year ago, Yeo stated that she still suffers from frequent headaches and feels tired easily, reported ST.

Fined S$3,500

Tham reportedly sent Yeo a text message to apologise, while she was in the hospital.

Yeo stated she responded to the message and had hoped to resolve the matter privately, as she believed he was "young" and "did not want him to go to jail and have his future ruined".

At the State Courts on Sep. 11, Tham was fined S$3,500 over the incident.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Muhamad Imaduddien originally sought a jail term of at least a week, reported Yahoo.

This was based on Tham's culpability and the harm he had indirectly inflicted on Yeo.

While District Judge Christopher Tan agreed that a stiff sentence was required, he described the case as "atypical".

Tham was entitled to use the path like any other pedestrian, Tan said, and in this case, did not anticipate that someone would emerge from behind the traffic box.

Tham's lawyer, Prasad Karunakarn, also pointed out that the path was dimly lit.

In light of the fact that the lighting conditions were less than adequate, and that Tham's view of the path was blocked, he was given a lighter sentence.

Additionally, Tham's e-scooter was not significantly modified, and more importantly, he had not made contact with Yeo.

For the offence, Tham could have been jailed up to two years, fined S$5,000, or both

Top photo via Yeo Eng Koong via Straits Times