Man, 44, drives out of Sengkang Shell station, hits staff, 66, causing his death, gets 6 months' jail

A 66-year-old employee at a Shell petrol station at Sengkang East Road was hit by a car while working.

He subsequently died of his injuries.

The driver of the car denied any wrongdoing, and claimed trial to a charge of negligent driving causing death.

Zhang Yongjie (transliteration), 44, had claimed that the car did not hit the employee and that the latter had been so scared he slapped the hood of the car and hit his head while falling down.

The accused was eventually found guilty and sentenced to six months' jail, reported Shin Min Daily News.

His driving licence was also revoked for eight years.

Accident at gas station

The accident occurred at around 1:15am on Jan. 19, 2023, at the petrol station in Sengkang.

According to the prosecution's closing argument, the victim had started work that day in "high spirits" and was looking forward to visiting relatives and friends the next day.

However, he died from severe brain trauma just a few hours after beginning his shift.

The statement of facts revealed that Zhang had gone to the station to refuel his vehicle.

After making payment, he returned to his car and turned right to exit the petrol station.

At that point, he struck the victim, who was walking toward the station from outside the convenience store.

Zhang admitted that he saw the victim, but denied knocking him down.

He claimed that he had been driving slowly and had braked suddenly upon seeing the victim.

According to Zhang, the victim then slapped the hood of the car with both hands before falling backwards and hitting his head on the ground.

Impact of accident caused injuries

The defence argued that the victim had a pre-existing disability, which could have contributed to the injuries on his feet.

However, doctors who testified disagreed, stating that the injuries were consistent with impact from a vehicle.

Furthermore, they noted that the severity of the head injury suggested that the victim had indeed been struck by the car before falling, and that the force of the fall alone would not have caused such extensive trauma.

A witness called by the prosecution claimed that the victim told paramedics in Mandarin that he had fallen.

However, upon reviewing the surveillance footage, the witness admitted that he had not been at the scene and did not witness the incident directly.

The prosecution contended that even if the victim did make such a statement, it should not be considered reliable.

They noted that the victim had suffered a severe head injury, including a skull fracture, and was likely mentally confused at the time.

Photo via Shin Min Daily News