S'pore man, 43, collides with motorcycle while drunk, flees nearly 10km, gets 4 months, 4 weeks & 12 days' jail

A 43-year-old man in Singapore was sentenced to four months, four weeks and 12 days' jail for driving under the influence of alcohol, fleeing nearly 10km following a collision with a motorcycle, and injuring two people during his escape.

He also had his driving licence suspended for five years.

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the offender, Xie Junliang (transliteration), faced a total of five charges, including drink driving, dangerous driving, and failing to stop after an accident.

He pleaded guilty to four charges, with the remaining charge taken into consideration during sentencing.

The case

Citing court documents, Zaobao reported that Xie had been drinking with colleagues near Merchant Road at about 6.30pm on Oct. 25, 2024, and had consumed at least three beers.

He later drove home to Tampines between 9pm and 10pm.

While travelling along Simei Road towards Tampines Avenue 5, Xie rear-ended a motorcycle that was stationary at a red light at an intersection, scratching its exhaust pipe.

The female motorcyclist then asked him to get out of the vehicle.

Instead of getting off, Xie reversed against the flow of traffic and drove away.

The female motorcyclist immediately called the police before pursuing Xie on her motorcycle.

Witnessing the incident, other motorcyclists also sounded their horns and signalled for Xie to stop.

In an attempt to flee, Xie drove about 9.5km from Simei Road through Upper Changi Road and the Tampines area.

Over the course of the roughly 20-minute pursuit, he repeatedly drove dangerously by reversing against traffic, speeding, making an illegal U-turn and mounting a road kerb.

At one point, the female motorcyclist and another woman attempted to stop his vehicle, but Xie continued driving and struck both women on their right legs.

Dashcam footage from Xie's vehicle showed him listening to music and humming after the collision, although his speech was slurred.

The pursuit ended when three motorcyclists surrounded Xie's vehicle and directed him to stop near a bus stop along Tampines Street 84.

Arrest and sentenced

According to Zaobao, when police officers arrived, they detected a strong smell of alcohol on Xie.

A breathalyser test showed that he had 79 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, more than twice Singapore's legal limit of 35 micrograms.

The female passerby sought medical treatment for her right leg injury, and Xie later reimbursed her about S$81 in medical expenses.

The female motorcyclist did not seek medical treatment.

The prosecution argued that Xie's conduct was highly irresponsible, saying that he not only drove while intoxicated, but also fled after the initial collision and repeatedly endangered other road users during his attempt to escape.

It sought a jail term of between eight and 10-and-a-half months, along with a driving disqualification of between 60 and 72 months.

In mitigation, Xie's lawyer said his client was his family's sole breadwinner and that a lengthy custodial sentence could jeopardise his construction business.

The defence also noted that no one suffered serious injuries and said Xie had expressed remorse, urging the court to impose a lighter sentence.