SINGAPORE — An electric scooter rider thought that a lorry driver was giving way to him at an intersection but instead, both men accelerated. 

After narrowly avoiding a collision, the lorry driver Tan Kok Kheng jumped out of his vehicle and confronted Mr Muhammad Syukor Roslan, who was riding the personal mobility device with his young daughter as a passenger.

Tan then punched Mr Syukor in the face at least four times and threw the e-scooter onto the ground.

On Tuesday (Sept 10), Tan, 52, was sentenced to 30 days behind bars for his actions.

He pleaded guilty to causing hurt to Mr Syukor, with another charge of committing mischief taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that Mr Syukor, 31, had picked his daughter up from school at about 3.45pm on April 10, 2017.

When he was about to turn into Teck Whye Lane from Choa Chu Kang Road, he noticed Tan turning into Teck Whye Lane from the opposite direction.

He stopped and raised his hand for Tan to give way.

When he saw Tan seeming to slow down, he accelerated on his e-scooter to cross the junction, but Tan also sped up. Both men braked to avoid colliding into each other.

Tan immediately alighted from the lorry. Mr Syukor asked him why he did not wait for him to cross the junction first as his child was riding pillion on the e-scooter, but Tan did not reply.

Instead, he punched Mr Syukor and lifted the e-scooter, and threw it onto the ground. Mr Syukor’s daughter began crying while standing in the middle of the road.

A bystander then called the police.

Tan has since paid S$1,000 in compensation to Mr Syukor for his medical expenses, and S$300 for damaging the e-scooter.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Lee Wei Liang called it a typical case of road rage, noting that Tan “behaved like a bully and hooligan throughout”. He was the aggressor and “should have known better than to vent his frustration in violence”, DPP Lee added. 

“(It happened in) full public view and caused considerable distress to the victim’s young daughter who seen crying at the scene,” said DPP Lee, who asked for at least five weeks’ jail.

For causing hurt, Tan could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined up to S$5,000, or both.