Man, 92, pleads not guilty to careless driving charge in Holland Road crash that killed motorcyclist, 30

A 30-year-old male motorcyclist was killed in an accident between a car and his motorcycle at the junction of Holland Road and Jalan Jelita on Apr. 13, 2023.

A 92-year-old car driver, then aged 89, was subsequently arrested and charged with careless driving causing death.

CNA reported that the driver, Henry Chia Soo Boon, faces two charges of driving without due care or attention.

According to Shin Min Daily News, he pleaded not guilty, and the case went to trial on May 22.

What happened

The court heard that the victims and the accused were travelling in opposite directions, CNA reported.

Chia, whose wife was in the passenger seat, had intended to make a right turn at the uncontrolled junction of Holland Road and Jalan Jelita.

The junction had no traffic lights, "give way" signs, or "stop" signs.

The deceased, Nasruddin, and his wife, Norlizdawati, were travelling in the rightmost lane of a three-lane road along Holland Road, in the direction of Ulu Pandan Road.

Both of them had their helmets on.

Chia had slowed down before attempting the right turn, but failed to come to a complete stop as he had waited for two cars to pass before turning.

Nasruddin's motorcycle, which was travelling behind one of those cars, was struck when Chia made the turn.

Both vehicles sustained damage in the collision, and investigators were unable to determine whether any mechanical fault contributed to the crash.

While being conveyed to the National University Hospital (NUH) by ambulance, Nasruddin went into cardiac arrest.

He had sustained extensive bruising over his forehead and had fractured his hand and wrist.

He was subsequently pronounced dead on Apr. 13, 2023.

His cause of death was later confirmed to be multiple injuries consistent with those sustained in a motor vehicle collision.

On the other hand, his wife suffered abrasions on her lower limb, and it was later revealed that she had sustained a haemorrhage.

She was given 16 days of hospitalisation leave.

The trial

According to CNA, the trial began with Station Inspector (SI) Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman taking the stand as the prosecution's first witness.

The traffic police officer, who is attached to the fatal accident investigation team, said he received a call from the traffic operations command centre regarding a fatality along Jalan Jelita at around 9pm that day.

Firdaus testified that an investigating officer at the scene had called to brief him on preliminary findings.

Following this, he said he instructed the investigating officer to photograph the accident scene, retrieve any available footage of the incident, and arrange for both vehicles to be seized.

Firdaus then proceeded to NUH and spoke to Nasruddin's sister-in-law and Norlizdawati, CNA reported.

He informed them of the body claiming process, as well as the need for a post-mortem to be conducted.

He later arranged for a police hearse to transport the deceased before returning to the traffic police headquarters to interview Chia.

CNA reported that several video clips were tendered in court, including footage from the front-facing camera on Chia's vehicle and that of an eyewitness.

The clips showed the moment Chia's car struck the motorcycle, which caused both the deceased and his wife to be flung from the bike.

Firdaus added that road conditions at the time of the incident were dry and visibility was clear.

Firdaus noted that a delivery bag containing perishable items was also recovered at the scene.

According to Shin Min, the dashcam's SD card is still in police custody, while the motorcycle and car involved have been returned to their owners after the investigation.

Cross-examination

During cross-examination, Chia's lawyer questioned whether Firdaus had established what the couple was doing at the time of the accident.

According to CNA, Firdaus replied that based on what Norlizdawati had told him, the pair had been delivering wine.

In response to a question on whether he had interviewed Chia's wife, the officer said she had been "quite in distress" following the accident and hence had not done so.

Chia's lawyer also questioned the decision to detain Chia's car for more than two years.

In response, Firdaus said it was necessary to ensure the vehicle remained available should the prosecution require it.

The court further heard that a mobile phone had been found in Chia's car and subsequently seized by an officer at the scene.

However, Firdaus, who previously told the court that no valuables were recovered, said he was unaware of it.

Norlizdawati is expected to take the stand next.

If convicted of causing death by driving without due care and attention, one may face a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.