S'pore lorry driver, 27, said he couldn't see red light due to sun's glare, gets jail after motorcyclist dies in collision

A lorry driver has been sentenced to a year and nine months in prison after he ran a red light and collided into a motorcyclist.

The 45-year-old motorcyclist was sent flying about 10 metres onto the grass, and later died of his injuries in the hospital, Shin Min Daily News reported.

The lorry driver, Vellaisamy Manikandan, was 25 at the time of the incident.

Now 27, he was convicted of driving without due care and attention causing death. Besides jail, he was also disqualified from holding a driving licence for 10 years on Jul. 2, 2026.

The collision

The incident happened at the traffic junction of Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim and Tuas West Road, at about 7:30am on Mar. 25, 2024.

According to a video shown in court, the light for Manikandan's lane was still red when he drove ahead.

The lorry then contninued through the junction, and drove into a motrocycle that was travelling through it at the time.

The motorcyclist was flung into the air due to the impact.

The police said he was conveyed unconscious to the hospital. He passed away the same day due to multiple injuries.

Claimed he could not see the traffic light

During investigations, Manikandan told the police that he could not see the traffic light clearly due to the sun's glare at the time, Shin Min reported.

He drove ahead at the junction because he thought the light had turned green, he claimed.

Pleading for leniency, Manikandan's lawyer told the court that there were two traffic light signals during the incident — one was shorter, and the other was taller.

As he drove a relatively short lorry, and was also affected by the sun's glare, Manikandan was not able to see the taller traffic light clearly, according to the lawyer.

He claimed to have only seen the shorter traffic light, which did turn green, and thought he could start driving.

However, the prosecutor pointed out that not only was the light red at the time, the other cars beside Manikandan had also stopped before the junction because of the red light, yet he appeared not to have noticed it.