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E-scooter rider who switched lanes and hit pedestrian from behind jailed

Close up image of a man on an electric scooter.
Photo from Getty Images

SINGAPORE — While steering his e-scooter with one hand and holding a cigarette in his other hand to smoke, the rider switched lanes and rammed into a pedestrian from behind.

The pedestrian, 58-year-old Tan Peck Lay, fell forward and fractured her wrist.

On Wednesday (11 September), the 61-year-old e-scooter rider, Tan Gim Moh, was jailed for 18 days for causing grievous hurt through a rash act.

Prior to the collision on 25 February last year, Tan Gim Moh, a lorry driver, was riding his e-scooter at a speed of between 20 and 25km/h on the bicycle lane along Yishun Ring Road towards Sree Maha Mariamman Temple.

Tan Peck Lay was strolling along the shared pathway adjacent to the bicycle lane at the time.

When Tan Gim Moh saw two pedestrians walking towards him, he decided to switch lanes.

Maintaining the same speed, he cut into the path that Tan Peck Lay was on. When he saw the woman, he tried to stop his e-scooter but lost balance. He knocked into Tan Peck Lay, causing her to fall onto the ground.

Tan Gim Moh and other pedestrians helped Tan Peck Lay to her feet and he saw that she had bruises on her face and knees.

Tan Peck Lay requested for Tan Gim Moh’s contact details for the purpose of seeking medical compensation, but the latter refused to provide them. He claimed that Tan Peck Lay had stepped into his lane and caused the collision.

At Tan Peck Lay’s insistence, Tan Gim Moh agreed to compensate her for medical expenses. The two then parted ways.

After the incident, Tan Gim Moh threw away his e-scooter.

Tan Peck Lay suffered from a right wrist fracture, bruises on her face, and abrasions over her limbs. She was given 48 days of hospitalisation leave and lost earnings amounting to $1,680.

Tan Gim Moh has since compensated her for the loss of earnings.

Seeking three weeks’ jail, Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng said Tan Gim Moh had failed to slow down despite being aware of pedestrians travelling on the adjacent pathway.

Tan Gim Moh’s lawyer, Ronald Ng, said that his client was on his way home and had swerved into the shared path while avoiding a bicycle.

His client was also injured but did not seek medical attention. He was surprised to be called up and charged more than a year after the incident, said Ng, who asked for a fine for his client.

For committing a rash act and causing grievous hurt, Tan Gim Moh could have been jailed up to four years, or fined up to $10,000, or both.

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