Ex-bus driver jailed 15 days for killing cyclist
A 59-year-old bus driver who was making a left turn on a road last year kept his sight only towards his right and drove straight into a cyclist who was crossing the road in front of him, a court heard.
Pow Teck Keng failed to look towards his left and front, and did not see Mr Artie Tan, 87, who was crossing the junction of Marine Crescent and Marine Parade Road on Sept 27 last year.
The cyclist was pinned under the bus, SBS Transit bus service number 196, and had to be extricated by firemen.
Mr Tan was taken to hospital with multiple fractures in the skull, trunk and pelvis. He died just after 6pm.
On Wednesday, Pow, a driver of 35 years, was jailed for 15 days and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for five years.
He pleaded guilty to causing Mr Tan's death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide.
A district court heard that Pow started his shift at about 7.10am that day at Bedok Bus Interchange.
He drove to Clementi Bus Interchange before heading back to Bedok.
At about 11.10am he started his second trip from Bedok Bus Interchange to Clementi Bus Interchange.
JUNCTION
At about 11.35am, Pow approached the non-signalised junction of Marine Crescent and Marine Parade Road.
He stopped his bus on the left-most lane of Marine Crescent, a two-lane road. The bus was the first vehicle in the lane.
At about the same time, Mr Tan was cycling on the pavement along Marine Parade Road.
Pow's bus was still stationary when Mr Tan cycled, at a slow pace, from the pavement and straight ahead to cross the road in front of the bus, from Pow's left to right.
Pow turned left into Marine Parade Road and crashed his bus into Mr Tan, pinning him under the front part of the vehicle.
Closed-circuit television footage from inside the bus showed Pow had turned his head to the right as the bus was coming to a stop. He kept his head to the right for about 14 seconds, until the bus had moved off again.
Pow lost his job with SBS Transit and is now a night watchman, earning an hourly-rated salary.
The maximum punishment for causing the death of a person by doing a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide is up to two years' jail and a fine.
- The Straits Times Online.
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