S'porean man, 33, jailed 27 months for crashing into lorry at 130-160km/h, seriously injuring 9 migrant workers

A Singaporean man, 33, drove at twice the speed limit and crashed his rental car into a lorry ferrying migrant workers, injuring a total of 12 of them, with nine suffering severe injuries.

On Dec. 22, 2025, Tan Wei Feng was sentenced to 27 months' jail and was banned from driving for at least eight years, which is the minimally required period.

Tan pleaded guilty to one charge of dangerous driving that caused grievous hurt to nine victims, all of whom were seated in the back of the lorry, reported CNA.

Another charge of careless driving that resulted in less severe injuries for three victims was taken into consideration for sentencing.

According to court documents obtained by Mothership, Tan has not made restitution for the costs incurred.

Victims 'thrown out of the lorry'

The accident occurred on Jul. 19, 2023 at about 7:46am before the Buangkok exit along the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) towards the direction of Tampines Expressway (TPE).

At the time of the accident, the weather was fine with dry roads, clear visibility and light traffic flow.

The nine who were grievously hurt were travelling in the back of the lorry.

The other two migrant workers were in the driver's and passenger's seat and sustained less severe injuries.

The victims were aged between 23 and 44 years old.

Tan's passenger, a woman, was also injured in the accident, court documents stated.

What happened

The lorry was travelling along the first lane of the KPE.

An eyewitness riding a motorcycle saw Tan's car swerve from the third lane to the first from his side-view mirror.

Tan's car, travelling at a high speed in between the first and second lane of the expressway, overtook the motorcycle.

Tan's car then collided with the right rear of the lorry, causing the lorry to spin and crash into the side barriers of the road, and flipping over onto its side.

Some of the victims seated at the rear of the lorry were thrown out.

Estimated speeds of 130-160 km/h

Further investigations showed that Tan was speeding at nearly double the limit based on a May 13, 2024, Health Sciences Authority (HSA) report.

He was estimated to be travelling at a speed of between 130km/h to 160km/h at the time of the collision.

The speed limit of the road was 80km/h.

The lorry was travelling at between 50km/h to 61km/h.

The nine severely hurt victims' injuries spanned from "spinal fractures" to "depressed skull fracture" and "multiple brain hemorrhages".

Four workers required surgery.

Most were warded for a week and given lengthy hospitalisation leaves spanning from 12 to 59 days.

The lorry driver, 44, was diagnosed with right jaw and shoulder bruises while the worker, 37, in the front passenger seat, had a neck sprain and bruises.

The last victim, a 26-year-old woman in Tan's rental car, suffered mild hearing loss alongside abrasions and bruises.

The lorry was badly damaged with the cost of repairs and losses amounting to over S$36,000.

Tan's car was scrapped by the rental company as it was beyond repair.

The cost of loss was approximately S$8,000.

Tan was arrested on Mar. 17, 2025 and released on bail the same day.

The sentencing

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mavis Ng sought a sentence of 26 to 30 months' jail with the mandatory minimum driving ban of eight years.

She said Tan's actions and circumstances were of great harm with 12 victims involved.

She also noted that the excessive speed of Tan's car contributed to the collision's strength and the ensuing damage caused.

CNA reported that Tan's lawyer from the Public Defender's Office told the court that Tan did not have the financial means to offer restitution and was unable to compensate the victims.

Tan's lawyer also asserted his potential for rehabilitation and his status as a caregiver to his elderly mother.

Tan had previously drove without due care and attention in 2023 and caused hurt by driving without reasonable consideration in 2022, CNA reported.

These compounded offences were settled out of court, hence no convictions were made.

Top photo from Mothership reader.