Car splits in 2 in CTE crash, 2 passengers die: S'porean driver, 28, gets 2 years' jail, 10-year driving ban

A 28-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to two years' jail and banned from driving for 10 years on Sep. 4 for dangerous driving causing death.

Ong Wei Long had lost control while driving along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Seletar on Aug. 11, 2023, past midnight.

According to court documents seen by Mothership, he was driving at a speed of between 116kmh and 140kmh along a slip road at the expressway.

The speed limit was 50kmh.

The car, a second-hand 26-year-old Honda Civic, then crashed into a tree sideways and split into two.

The impact killed his passengers, Tan Bing Quan and Lim Xin Rong Shannon, both 26.

Fetched friends from Kovan

Ong, who was friends with Tan, had driven to Kovan after a gym session together to pick up Lim, who was Tan's girlfriend.

They had intended to spend time at Seletar Aerospace Drive.

Lim was seated in the front passenger seat, while Tan sat in the back.

As Ong navigated a bend at a road leading to Seletar West Link, he lost control of the vehicle.

It veered off and slammed into a tree on the right side of the road.

The collision was so severe that the car split into two, with one part landing on lane one of the two-lane slip road, while the other half was flung onto a separate slip road from the Tampines Expressway.

A passer-by alerted the authorities, and both police and paramedics were dispatched to the scene.

Victim found outside car

As a result of the crash, Tan was found on a grass patch at the side of the car and pronounced dead at the scene, while Lim was found unconscious in the front passenger seat and suffered traumatic cardiac arrest and several injuries.

She was pronounced brain dead on Aug. 19, 2023 and her organs were eventually donated.

Her cause of death was cervical spine injury from a motor vehicle collision.

Ong sustained fractures to the spine, multiple bruises and dislocated his elbow.

Lawyer sought for 24 months' jail and driving ban

Ong's defence lawyer Adrian Wee from Lighthouse Law said Ong does not remember the incident occurring due to the psychological trauma that the crash induced.

According to Wee, Ong only remembers picking Lim up and then waking up in the hospital.

Wee requested for Ong to be sentenced to 24 months' jail and be banned from driving for 10 years, to which the judge agreed.

He had also requested the judge to consider Ong's circumstances, saying that Ong has already been "severely punished by having to live with the fact that he has caused the death of his two friends".

Ong was ultimately granted a jail term deferment to sort out claims and legal matters pertaining to the incident.

The next-of-kin of those involved in the accident have made claims against Ong, CNA reported.

Ong could have been jailed between two and eight years and banned from driving for 10 years for dangerous driving causing death.

Top photo via court documents