Motorist linked to fatal Tanjong Pagar crash fined $5k for dangerous driving
A woman who drove at excessive speeds in Tanjong Pagar, shortly before the car was involved in a fiery crash, has been fined $5,000 and disqualified from driving for three years.
Phoo Yi Lin, 26, admitted on Monday to driving the white BMW M4 in a dangerous manner at around 5.35am on Feb 13, 2021.
She clocked 109kmh along Tanjong Pagar Road. The speed limit was 50kmh.
Minutes later, the owner of the car, Mr Jonathan Long Junwei, took the wheel with four passengers. They all died in the crash.
Hours before the tragedy, the 29-year-old and his friends were at a Chinese New Year gathering in Ang Mo Kio, where they had alcoholic drinks.
They then left for Hong Jja Jang restaurant in Tanjong Pagar Road, where they continued drinking. Their friend, Mr Park Se Jin, ran the restaurant.
According to witnesses, Mr Long showed his new BMW to his friends. They then took turns at the wheel, each driving once around the Tanjong Pagar area.
The first in the group to take the car for a spin was Mr Eugene Yap Zheng Min, 29. He drove it from the restaurant towards Keppel, making a U-turn in Enggor Street.
After that, he drove along Tanjong Pagar Road towards Maxwell Road before stopping near the eatery. Mr Yap had driven the car at speeds of between 77kmh and 88kmh.
During a 2022 coroner’s inquiry into the fatal crash, the court heard that Mr Yap had 119mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood - the legal limit being 80mg per 100ml.
Mr Park then drove the car at speeds of up to 59kmh while following the same path.
Phoo, who is a Malaysian, took over after that and drove the same route.
Mr Long was the fourth driver, and four of his friends - Mr Yap, Mr Wilson Teo Qi Xiang, 26, Mr Elvin Tan Yong Hao, 28, and Mr Gary Wong Hong Chieh, 29 - joined him in the vehicle.
The car had designated seats only for the driver and three passengers.
Mr Long clocked speeds of up to 182kmh before the car ploughed into a shophouse pillar and burst into flames at around 5.40am that day.
The car’s airbags did not deploy in the accident, and all five men were killed.
Mr Long’s fiancee, former air stewardess Raybe Oh Siew Huey, then 26, tried to help them but was badly burned.
She spent four months in Singapore General Hospital and needed multiple reconstructive surgeries.
During the coroner’s inquiry, Traffic Police investigator Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman testified that Mr Long, Mr Yap and Mr Tan died of severe burns.
Mr Teo died of severe burns and a spinal injury, while Mr Wong died of severe burns and pelvic injuries.
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