S’porean man, 58, crashes Porsche into Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth, gets 5 weeks’ jail & 30 months’ driving ban

A 58-year-old Singaporean man drank a litre of beer over six hours and crashed his car into Suntec City’s Fountain of Wealth.

Then Shing Chong was sentenced to five weeks’ jail and a 30-month suspension from driving.

He pleaded guilty to one count of driving dangerously and was sentenced on Jul. 14, CNA reported.

Drink

On Jul. 12, 2024, at about 5pm, Then drove to Suntec City from his home to meet his friend.

They ate and drank at a bar.

They got more beer when more friends joined the gathering.

Between 6:15pm and 12am, Then consumed about a litre of beer.

At 8:51pm, he sent a message to a valet.

Then did not reply when the valet responded.

Post-gathering

Then left the bar and retrieved his Porsche after the gathering.

Dashcam footage revealed that the gantry barrier had lifted for his car to pass, but Then failed to move for about nine to 10 seconds.

Focus

He then lost focus while driving along Temasek Boulevard.

He failed to comply with road signs, which showed that he had to turn left into a roundabout.

He continued driving straight and cut through three lanes of the roundabout.

As a result, he crashed through the barricade at the Fountain of Wealth.

His vehicle plummeted to the basement.

Three construction workers were working at the basement at the time, with two of them near the accident site.

The trio ran away to avoid getting hurt.

Damages

A barricade, planter boxes, and flooring were damaged after the car fell to the basement.

The repairs cost about S$64,580.

A lorry crane was deployed to remove the damaged vehicle for towing.

The Porsche's top and engine hood crumpled, and the right bumper got ripped off.

Then did not undergo any tests for intoxication, as he was hospitalised after the crash.

He subsequently made full restitution of S$74,000.

Mandatory treatment order

The prosecution sought two to four weeks' jail and a 36-month driving suspension.

Then’s lawyers requested for their client to be assessed if for his suitability for a mandatory treatment order (MTO), by drawing a link between his major depressive disorder and the incident.

His lawyers argued that their client had made full restitution, and his level of alcohol intoxication was not established.

The judge said the number of rounds of psychiatric examinations would not answer the questions, and the lack of evidence could not determine if the accused's depression outweighed the intoxication effects, CNA reported.

The judge added that psychiatric illness should be shown through documented symptoms before the offence.

There also should be evidence that the offender was not significantly impaired by alcohol, the judge added.

However, none of these factors applied to Then, it was noted.

Then was only diagnosed with major depressive disorder after the offence.

He also only told IMH and his psychiatrist that he had taken either an antihistamine or a sleeping pill before having alcohol on the day of the incident.

The judge declined to call for an MTO suitability report.

For driving dangerously, those convicted could face a jail term of up to 12 months, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.