• Tian Wei Jie was looking at his phone to check on his job assignment when he crashed into a pedestrian on a footpath in 2019
• The elderly man suffered a stroke and was hospitalised for 102 days 
• Two years later, while out on bail, Tian rode an electric bicycle while drunk and collided into another pedestrian

SINGAPORE — A food delivery rider was on Tuesday (Nov 16) jailed nine weeks and fined S$1,500 after he crashed his electric scooter into an elderly man in 2019. 

The accident caused the man to suffer a stroke and he had to undergo emergency life-saving surgery.

Two years later, while riding an electric bicycle after knocking back six large bottles of beer, Tian Wei Jie crashed into another man on a footpath.

Tian, 35, pleaded guilty on Monday to four charges related to the two incidents. These included charges for riding his electric bicycle on a footpath, and pushing the second victim onto the ground and punching him repeatedly after colliding into him.

Tian’s lawyer Dhanwant Singh told the court on Tuesday that his client had not left his home on the day of the first incident in 2019 to cause any harm.

He added that Tian regretted having committed the crimes and “demonstrated his sincerest remorse”. 

District Judge Eugene Teo allowed Tian to begin his sentence in three weeks for him to sort out some affairs, including moving out of his family home to a rental flat where he will be living alone.

Asked by the judge if he intends to continue working as a food deliveryman, Tian replied: “For the time being. I don't have a choice. But after I’m released from prison, I will think about it.”

He remains out on S$15,000 bail.

ABOUT THE CASE

Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryont Chin said on Monday that the first incident happened on July 7, 2019 along a footpath in Bedok South.

Tian, who was working for delivery firm Foodpanda, had taken his eyes off the footpath to check on his job assignment on his phone.

He had been riding his electric scooter at about 20kmh. Riding electric scooters on footpaths was still allowed then, and this was about double the speed limit. 

The victim, now 77 and named in court documents as Mr Lim Poon Guan, suffered a life-threatening form of stroke caused by bleeding on the surface of the brain.

He had to go through life-saving surgery and was hospitalised for 102 days.

The second incident happened in Bedok North on March 7 this year, when Tian was still out on bail.

Intoxicated, he rode his electric bicycle on a footpath, which has been illegal since last year. 

He failed to keep a proper lookout and crashed into 60-year-old Koh Ah Beng, who was on the footpath with his wife.

Tian spewed vulgarities at Mr Koh, who told him that he should not have ridden his electric bicycle in such a dangerous manner.

Agitated, Tian threw Mr Koh onto the ground. The two men traded blows while Mr Koh’s wife hit Tian with her umbrella.

The scuffle attracted the attention of passers-by who restrained Tian before he took off on his electric bicycle.

Mr Koh reported the incident to the police later that evening. He suffered abrasions on his right knee and a bruise on his right hand.

Tian has since fully compensated Mr Koh for his medical expenses, which came to S$126.

As for Mr Lim, the first victim, his hospital bill totalled some S$46,600. It was paid for by Mr Lim’s Medisave health savings scheme, as well as his MediShield and other insurance payouts.

For committing a rash act endangering the lives or safety of others, Tian could have been jailed for up to a year or fined up to S$5,000, or given both penalties.

For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have received a jail term of up to three years or a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

And for riding his electric bicycle on a footpath, he could have been fined up to S$2,000 or jailed up to three months, or punished with both.