SINGAPORE — To overtake another driver, a man sped up to twice the speed limit in the heart of the Central Business District (CBD). He ended up ploughing into a crowd of pedestrians, trapping two people and running over a third victim's leg.

For two counts of grievous hurt by a rash act and one count of causing hurt by a rash act, 27-year-old Mr Lim Wei Sheng was sentenced on Monday (Sept 21) to 15 weeks' jail and banned from driving for four years.

Another charge was taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that Mr Lim was driving on the second lane of a five-lane road towards Cross Street at about 6pm on April 15 last year.

As he approached the junction of Central Boulevard and Marina Way, Mr Lim tried to overtake a silver car that was in front of him.

He moved to the first lane before accelerating and overtaking the car. As he tried to move back into the second lane, a blue car in the second lane tried to turn right into Marina Way, crossing into his path.

To avoid colliding with the blue car, Mr Lim swerved his car to the right, but lost control of the vehicle and collided with a metal bollard before ploughing into a crowd of pedestrians waiting at a traffic junction to cross the road.

Two women, aged 37 and 35, were trapped under Mr Lim's car, while a 40-year-old woman's leg was run over by the vehicle.

They were taken to hospital with injuries including fractured ribs, open leg wounds and a fractured shin bone.

The 37-year-old woman, who was trapped under the front bumper of the car, had surgery to repair her leg fractures and continues to undergo psychological counselling for post-traumatic stress disorder.

She still has limited knee movement and a pending ligament reconstruction surgery.

Investigations showed that Mr Lim had travelled between 96kmh and 102kmh a few seconds before the crash. The stretch of road he was on had a speed limit of 50kmh.

A report by the Health Sciences Authority stated that Mr Lim had travelled about 170.5m in his attempt to overtake the silver car before the collision.

Mr Lim knew that travelling straight on a right-turn only lane at a high speed was a rash and dangerous act that endangered the lives of other road users.

A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IN THE CBD: PROSECUTOR

The prosecutor asked for at least three months and four weeks' jail and a driving ban of five years.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhi Hao said that the accident was a serious one that occurred in the early evening of a working day in the heart of the CBD.

"The accused blatantly executed dangerous overtaking manoeuvres, by travelling straight at a speed of up to 102kmh over a mere distance of 170.5m on a right-turn only lane, resulting in his vehicle ploughing straight into a crowd of unsuspecting pedestrians," he said. 

The court took into account Mr Lim's plea of guilt and allowed Mr Lim to begin his jail term on Oct 12.

For causing grievous hurt by a rash act, Mr Lim could have been jailed up to four years, fined up to S$10,000, or both. For causing hurt by a rash act, he could have been jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$5,000, or both. 

The offences also draw driving bans if committed in connection with the driving of a vehicle. CNA

For more stories like this, visit cna.asia.