A 28-year-old Malaysian man decided to drive back to his residence in Johor Bahru from the lounge bar he was working at in Singapore during the early hours of Feb. 6, even though he had some beer with the customers there.
When the man, Pua Yui Loon, was travelling "at an extreme speed of 141kmh" along Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) towards Woodlands, he saw a motorcycle travelling in front of him and tried to overtake it from the right.
While Pua knew that he had collided with the motorcycle, he did not stop his car and continued "speeding ahead" towards Johor Bahru.
Chiam was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics, while Diyana was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital for medical attention.
Drank alcohol before accident
According to court documents seen by Mothership, Pua drove from Malaysia to Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint at around 2pm on Feb. 5.
He then drove to a lounge bar located in Geylang, where he worked as a cashier, and reported to work at around 2:40pm.
Between 9pm and 12am on Feb. 6, Pua was invited to drink some beer with the customers and proceeded to do so.
Pua left the bar at around 1am after it closed, and he dropped a colleague off at Paya Lebar before driving back to Malaysia alone.
Speeding along BKE
Pua subsequently travelled along Paya Lebar Road and Pan Island Expressway (PIE) before reaching BKE, where he drove along the rightmost lane of the three-lane expressway.
In a speed analysis report, a forensic scientist at the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) estimated the average speed Pua was travelling before the accident was at least 141kmh.
This was significantly higher than the road speed limit along the relevant part of the BKE, which was 90kmh, according to court documents.
Side-swiped motorcycle
While Pua was travelling fast along the right-most lane, Chiam was riding his motorcycle along the same lane in front of Pua, while Chiam's girlfriend, Diyana, was riding pillion.
Both Chiam and Diyana were wearing helmets at the time, and a toxicology analyst at HSA did not detect any alcohol or drugs in Chiam's blood or urine specimen.
When Pua noticed the couple from a distance, he started approaching their motorcycle from behind on the rightmost lane.
Although he had "slowed down slightly", Pua was still travelling fast. He then knocked into the motorcycle while attempting to overtake it from the right.
As a result of the collision impact, the motorcycle was "immediately overturned and crashed behind" Pua's car.
Chiam passed away, Diyana injured
While Pua continued his journey to Malaysia as if nothing had happened, Chiam and Diyana were left on the road, according to court documents.
Diyana, who was conscious, called out to Chiam when she saw him lying on the second rightmost lane.
Even though Chiam did not answer and appeared unconscious, Diyana could not move towards him as her legs and hands were injured.
The Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force subsequently arrived at the scene of the accident upon being alerted to it at around 1:21am.
Soon after, paramedics told Diyana the heartbreaking news that Chiam had passed away.
A medical report of Diyana also indicated that she suffered a right elbow wound and multiple abrasions all over her body following the accident.
Pua arrested on Feb. 7
Pua eventually left Singapore at around 1:25am and parked his car at his condominium car park in Johor Bahru.
On Feb. 7 afternoon, he travelled to Woodlands Checkpoint via a private hailing vehicle and a public bus.
Upon arriving at the checkpoint at around 3:20pm, he was detained at the immigration counter and subsequently arrested by the Singapore traffic police.
Pua was handed multiple charges by a Singapore court on Feb. 9, including charges of dangerous driving causing death, failing to stop after the accident, failing to lodge a timely police report, and assist the injured.
Jailed on Sep. 10
Pua was sentenced to three years and 10 months in jail and disqualified from driving for 10 years on Sep. 10 after he pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving causing death, reported The Straits Times.
Another five charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
The judge presiding over Pua's case stated that there were several aggravating factors, including the fact he consumed alcohol, "though no alcohol level could be established" as Pua fled the scene, according to CNA.
For each count of dangerous driving causing death, Pua could have been jailed for up to eight years.
Top image via Shin Min Daily News