Private-hire driver jailed for causing accident that injured five
The private-hire driver was on the congested Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and was unable to stop in time when a car in front of him came to a standstill.
Tan Tien Hong swerved to the next lane to avoid a collision but as he did not keep a proper lookout, it caused a pile-up with four motorcycles and another car.
The traffic jam, which lasted hours, also saw five men taken to hospital for serious injuries.
Tan, now 47, was yesterday jailed for four weeks and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for three years after he pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt by a negligent act.
His sentence was deferred until Jan 4 next year.
The accident occurred at 7.40pm on April 6, 2017, on the AYE towards Tuas, near the Portsdown exit. Traffic was heavy and Tan was on the first lane from the right.
Mr Muhammad Zulhusni Sanusi, then 27, Mr Mohd Shahril Izuan Ab Rahman, then 28, Mr Mohammad Zulkheir Misnan, then 25, and Mr Zairul Mohamad Zain, then 39, were each riding a motorcycle on the left side of the same lane.
Mr Muhammad Nazirul Hafiy Atan, then 21, was riding pillion on Mr Zulkheir's motorcycle. The five friends were lifeguards.
Meanwhile, the driver of the other car, Mr Khairul Anuar Zailani, then 29, was on the next lane slightly behind Tan.
Tan's negligence, which led to the pile-up, was caught on the expressway camera.
His car swerved into Mr Zulhusni's path, causing the latter to hit Tan's rear bumper. The impact flung Mr Zulhusni and his motorcycle onto the third lane from the right.
Mr Shahril, who was behind Mr Zulhusni, could not brake in time and also collided into Tan's car, crashing into the rear window. Mr Zulkheir and Mr Zairul lost control and skidded.
Meanwhile, Mr Khairul swerved to the left and braked after being hit in the bumper twice.
The four motorcyclists and Mr Nazirul were taken to National University Hospital after Tan called the police.
None of them suffered disabilities, but Mr Zulhusni had a head injury with retrograde amnesia and needed surgery for a broken ankle. Mr Shahril had wounds to his arms and was given 51 days of hospitalisation leave.
Mr Zulkheir's toe was almost completely amputated and he needed multiple procedures. Mr Nazirul fractured his upper arm, had multiple facial wounds and needed micro-surgical repair on a nerve. Mr Zairul also had multiple injuries, including a fractured collarbone.
For causing grievous hurt by negligent act, Tan could have been jailed for up to two years and fined up to $5,000.
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