After consuming alcohol at a friend's house, a 48-year-old male driver fell asleep at the wheel while driving home on Sep. 30, 2023.

The driver also went against the flow of traffic and hit a ComfortDelGro taxi, ripping off part of the doors on the driver's side of the taxi.

According to court documents, the collision resulted in a total loss of S$15,768.12.

On Aug. 5, 2024, the driver was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison and had his driver's license suspended for five years.

The collision

Between 11pm on Sep. 29, 2023, and 2am on Sep. 30, 2023, Yong Yau Liang drank wine and beer at his friend's house in Punggol.

Yong left after 2am and began driving his car back home despite having consumed alcohol.

During his drive back, Yong fell asleep at the wheel and drove without due care and attention.

At around 2:30am, Yong was driving against the flow of traffic along Hougang Avenue 3 towards Hougang Avenue 2.

At that time, the taxi driver was heading along the same road in the correct direction.

Yong, who was in the third lane, began to head towards the taxi in the first lane.

The taxi driver saw Yong's vehicle heading towards him and tried to take evasive action. However, Yong still collided with the taxi.

According to the court documents, the collision caused the taxi to spin 90 degrees. The collision also woke the accused up, but he continued to drive in the wrong direction, narrowly missing another taxi in lane two.

Yong then parked his car further up Hougang Avenue 3.

The collision ripped off parts of both doors on the driver's side of the taxi.

The front fender and hood of Yong's car were severely deformed.

Could not remember falling asleep

The taxi driver called for police assistance at around 2:31am.

The responding officers noticed that Yong's face was flushed and his eyes were bloodshot.

He also reeked of alcohol.

When questioned, Yong admitted that he had been drinking.

He was brought to the traffic police headquarters and administered a breathalyser test that revealed his breath alcohol content was 36 microgrammes per 100ml of breath.

The legal limit is 35 microgrammes of alcohol for every 100 ml of breath.

Yong also admitted during the statement recording that he could not remember where or when he started driving against the flow of traffic.

The taxi driver was examined at the emergency department of Changi General Hospital.

An X-ray showed that the driver had suffered a minimally displaced right rib fracture and was given 14 days of hospitalisation leave.

Losses

According to the court documents, ComfortDelGro sustained the biggest loss of S$14,408.12 due to the collision.

The cost of repairs to the taxi amounted to S$12,258.

ComfortDelGro also lost S$2,148.12 in rental as the taxi could not be rented out for 17 days.

There was also a S$2 fee for the police report.

The taxi driver lost S$1,360 in income after being out of work for 17 days.

Top photos via court documents