Edmund Chen, 63, apologises to AYE accident victim after getting 5-day jail sentence

"I really apologise for what [has] happened," said former Singapore actor Edmund Chen, following his sentencing on Jan. 29.

The 63-year-old, whose name appears in court documents as Tan Kai Yuan, pleaded guilty in court to one count of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users, resulting in an accident.

He was sentenced to five days' imprisonment and was disqualified from driving for five years.

Relieved that the victim has fully recovered

Apologising to the victim, who was hospitalised for two days, Chen said he had caused the victim "a lot of trouble and pain", and added that he was "happy and relieved" the victim had made a full recovery.

In response to his sentencing, Chen said he had “always respected Singapore’s judicial system” and had learnt his lesson, stressing that road safety is “of paramount importance”.

"Moving forward, I seek the public's kind understanding," he said.

When asked about his family’s reaction to the incident, Chen said they had been “very, very supportive”, adding that his friends had also sent messages of comfort and encouragement.

"Actually not just them, but my friends... [have also] been sending their comforting and kind words."

To his fans, Chen said he was grateful for their support and urged members of the public to be cautious on the roads.

Background

The court heard that Chen was driving on the leftmost lane of the four-lane Ayer Rajah Expressway towards Central Expressway (CTE), on Mar. 4, 2025 afternoon.

The third and fourth lanes led to Keppel Road, while the first and second lanes led to the CTE.

He intended to go to CTE but didn't form up in time and tried to go to the second lane by braking abruptly and attempting to cross the chevron markings in between.

Among other things, he allowed a car to pass him in the third lane before filtering sharply across the third lane.

This caused him to collide with a motorcycle that was overtaking his car, causing grievous hurt to the rider.

The court heard that Chen stopped and immediately rendered assistance to the victim.

The victim was sent to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and was found to have sustained multiple right-hand wrist fractures.

He was given 99 days of hospitalisation leave but did not suffer any permanent disability.

Top photos via Mothership