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Woman, 31, died after taxi hit her along Balestier Road, court heard she was drunk & jaywalking
The taxi driver, 71, was fined S$8,000 and had his licence suspended for eight years.
August 24, 2025, 02:46 PM
A taxi hit a 31-year-old woman, who was drunk and jaywalking across Balestier Road, and she subsequently died.
She was walking across the road to meet her boyfriend at the time, Shin Min Daily News reported.
The 71-year-old taxi driver was fined S$8,000 for negligent driving and had his licence suspended for eight years.
Lin Hangbang (transliteration) pleaded guilty to one count of careless driving.
What happened
The fatal accident occurred at around 2am on Monday, May 27, 2024, along Balestier Road towards Lavender Street.
Lin was driving towards a pedestrian cross near Jalan Dusun when he hit the woman who was crossing the road to meet her boyfriend.
Did not have time to brake
Shin Min reported that Lin saw the woman at the time, but he did not have time to brake, which led to the collision.
The court heard that the incident occurred during fine weather, with dry roads and unobstructed visibility of traffic lights
Dashcam footage played in court showed Lim's taxi travelling straight at a green light and striking the deceased, who was jaywalking.
She was thrown forward a distance as a result of the impact, which shattered the taxi's windscreen.
The victim's boyfriend, who witnessed the accident, rushed to his girlfriend's aid.
He called the police.
An ambulance then conveyed the victim unconscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, which is nearby.
She was pronounced dead at around 3:09am.
What investigations showed
An investigation revealed that the deceased's blood contained no less than 216mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
The cause of death was listed as chest injuries consistent with those caused by a traffic accident.
In court, Lin pleaded for leniency, saying he had nothing to say, Shin Min reported.
The prosecution noted that Lin had no previous criminal record.
Taking into account that Lin had the right of way, and that the deceased was jaywalking, as well as the alcohol level in her blood at the time, which may have affected her judgment and reaction, the prosecution sought a fine of between S$6,000 and S$8,000, and the suspension of the taxi driver's licence for eight years.
Top photo via Google Maps
