Mum of teen killed in Joo Chiat accident says 'we don't want vengeance'

The mother of a teenager killed in an accident in Joo Chiat said she felt relief when State Coroner Adam Nakhoda concluded on Jan 27 that no foul play was suspected in the incident.

Madam Tan Chin Shin said she hopes the driver of the van – lab technician Woo Jie Yu, 24 – will not face criminal action for the accident which claimed the life of her child, Ms Dorothy Naomi Tan.

Ms Tan, 19, died of her injuries the day after the accident on June 8, 2024.

Madam Tan, who attended the coroner’s inquiry, told The Straits Times: “I believe this was an accident. Dorothy did not want it to happen.

“The driver did not want it to happen. I think it’s enough that one person has paid with her life.

“I don’t want the driver to have to suffer and ruin his life. We don’t want vengeance.”

Video footage of the incident showed Ms Tan standing on the footpath next to the two-way road, near the Rising Court building. She was facing the opposite direction of where Mr Woo was coming from.

In earlier proceedings, Traffic Police investigation officer Jeff Tan, said the teenager did not check for traffic coming from the lane closer to her – which the driver was on.

As Ms Tan stepped onto the road, Mr Woo tried to swerve to the right and brake, but the van hit her and she was flung a distance onto the opposite lane.

Mr Woo stopped his van and called for an ambulance and the police. Ms Tan was taken unconscious to Changi General Hospital.

Her family members, who were in Beijing on a trip, rushed back to see her when they received a call from the hospital.

They decided to remove her from life support after they were told that her brain no longer had any activity and further treatment would be futile. She died on June 9, 2024, around 1.40am.

The former student of Raffles Girls’ School, who wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a lawyer, was about to start school at the Yong Pung How School of Law at Singapore Management University.

The coroner’s assessment was that Ms Tan had failed to check for traffic to her right before she ran across the road.

State Coroner Nakhoda noted that the autopsy report showed that there were traces of fentanyl and varying levels of ketamine components in Ms Tan’s blood.

He said this was found to be in line with medication given to Ms Tan as part of her medical therapy treatment after the accident.

The coroner said the case was a stark reminder that pedestrians should always ensure both sides of the road are clear of traffic, especially on a two-way one, before attempting to cross.

He said Ms Tan’s father had described his daughter as a reserved person, and someone well-liked by her friends and family. She had been excited to attend an upcoming church camp when the accident happened.

Madam Tan said her family developed a fear of crossing roads after the accident.

“Sometimes I feel like yelling at people who are crossing the road to slow down and stop looking at their phone.

“Just please check again because these things can happen. It happened,” she added.

Madam Tan told ST she was struck by the compassion and sensitivity that the coroner and the investigating officer showed.

“Facts are facts, and we accept his (coroner) assessment of the situation. We are so grateful for the video because we would not have known what happened if not for it,” she added.

Madam Tan said that on her daughter’s 20th birthday, which just passed, the family opened a letter that Ms Tan had written to her future self.

Said Madam Tan: “The letter she wrote to herself made me realise that we have a lot of hopes, sometimes we think we will go on living forever, but unexpected things can happen.

“So I want to say that we can only accept these things as they come, and become stronger and adapt to new chapters.”