BMW driver jailed, fined and banned from driving for illegal race
Two BMWs hurtled down the road at more than 170kmh in an illegal race that endangered the lives of other road users.
But their stunt ended in just a minute, when Traffic Police officers pulled them over.
Yesterday, Chua Dong Cheng, 40, the driver of a blue BMW, was jailed two weeks, fined $2,500 and banned from driving for 18 months.
In the early hours of July 9, 2017, Chua, who is in the construction business, raced against Wan Tat Mun, also 40, the driver of a white BMW.
The duo agreed to use a traffic light along Lim Chu Kang Road as the starting point of the race. The location is infamously known as "40 Tiang", named after the straight stretch of road lined with 40 lamp-posts on each side.
While the speed limit was 70kmh, the blue BMW had travelled at 177kmh, while the white BMW sped at 179kmh.
Footage of the race, captured on Chua's in-car camera, was played in court yesterday, showing the two tearing down the lanes before officers overtook and stopped them on motorbikes.
Both cars had modified exhaust pipes and silencers, and Chua's car also had a cooling mist system with a water injection tank installed.
The vehicles were seized by the police and the prosecution intends to apply for the forfeiture of Chua's car. Deputy Public Prosecutor Jaime Pang asked for a sentence of two weeks jail, a $1,500 fine and a driving disqualification of at least 18 months for the illegal racing charge, and an additional fine for dangerous driving.
He added Chua had six previous speeding convictions and another one for careless driving.
He said: "It is not out of character for the accused. In very basic terms, the accused likes to go fast. He does not care about other road users."
Chua's lawyer Cory Wong asked for a week's jail, a $1,500 fine and a disqualification of 15 months arguing it was a one-off race. He said: "(Chua) is not a habitual road menace. While the race was ongoing, there were only two other vehicles on the opposite side of the road."
Mr Wong added in his mitigation his client was involved in a bitter legal tussle with his ex-wife over access arrangements of their daughter, 5.
District Judge Ng Peng Hong said deterrence was needed.
The case against Wan is pending.
For taking part in the illegal race, Chua could have been jailed up to six months and fined up to $2,000. For the dangerous driving charge, he could have been jailed up to a year, or fined up to $5,000, or both.
Just last week, two men driving Mitsubishi Evolution 10 sports sedans were each jailed two weeks for racing on the Central Expressway at about 180kmh in October, last year.
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