Cyclist jailed for crash that killed pedestrian

SINGAPORE - A cyclist has been given a prison sentence over an accident involving a pedestrian who died of his injuries five days after the crash.

Toni Timo Salminen, who is Finnish, was sentenced on Thursday (Dec 10) to a week's jail after pleading guilty to causing Mr Chew Fook Yew's death by cycling in a negligent manner.

The 42-year-old offender had failed to keep a proper lookout while cycling along Sims Avenue on Oct 1 last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Rimplejit Kaur said that the 53-year-old pedestrian had not been jaywalking and the accident happened more than 50m from the nearest pedestrian crossing.

She added: "This is not a case where the deceased suddenly dashed onto the road, suddenly appeared onto the road from an obscured position, suddenly stopped while crossing the road, suddenly turned back while crossing the road, hesitated or lingered while crossing the road or suddenly bent down to pick up something while crossing the road.

"In fact... the accused had an unobstructed view of the entire process of the deceased crossing the road, from the commencement to collision, if he had a kept a proper lookout."

Salminen was in the second lane of the four-lane road along Sims Avenue towards Sims Avenue East at 6.16pm when Mr Chew stepped onto the fourth and extreme left lane.

Although Salminen spotted Mr Chew walking briskly onto the third lane, he did not slow down.

DPP Kaur said: "According to the accused, when the deceased was already in lane two, the accused rang the bicycle bell and jammed his brakes... The accused, however, could not stop the bicycle in time, as the distance between the accused and the deceased was too short.

"As a result, the accused collided into the deceased. The deceased fell backwards onto the road while the accused was flung off the bicycle and onto the road."

Salminen then attended to Mr Chew, who was lying motionless on the road, and waited until an ambulance arrived at the scene.

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An ambulance took the pedestrian to Tan Tock Seng Hospital and Salminen alerted the police about the incident at 7.08pm that day.

Mr Chew was pronounced dead at around 10.30pm on Oct 6 last year.

Following an autopsy, he was found to have died from a head injury, consistent to one suffered in a traffic accident.

For causing Mr Chew's death by cycling in a negligent manner, Salminen could have been jailed for up to two years and fined.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.