Dangerous driver who hit and killed motorcyclist jailed and banned

SINGAPORE - A minibus driver with a poor driving record, who hit and killed a motorcyclist on the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE) in 2021, was jailed for four months on Dec 28.

Muhammad Hairulzat Salleh, 41, pleaded guilty to one charge of driving without due care and attention, causing the death of Satyadew Ramanuj, 57.

Hairulzat will also be disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for eight years upon his release from prison.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Pavithra Ramkumar said Hairulzat's past offences include careless driving causing hurt, failing to conform to red light and using a mobile phone while driving.

The prosecutor said that at the time of the fatal accident on March 13, 2021, Hairulzat was employed by Aurora World, a company which provides chartered bus services.

DPP Pavithra added that Mr Satyadew was riding his motorcycle at 6.40am along the PIE towards Tuas before he slowed down and came to a complete stop on the third lane.

Footage from a Land Transport Authority camera showed the motorcycle lights appeared to be dimming and brightening.

Vehicles which approached the stationary motorcycle from the rear switched lanes to avoid collision, said DPP Pavithra.

At that time, Hairulzat was switching from the second lane to the third.

Before changing lanes, he was travelling at a speed of between 66 and 90 kmh behind a van.

According to the prosecutor, he failed to keep a safe distance from the van. At such a speed, she said, he should have been four to six car lengths away.

Because of this, and that he failed to keep a proper look-out ahead when changing lanes, Hairulzat only saw Mr Satyadew's stationary motorcycle when he entered the third lane.

He did not react in time and collided into the motorcycle. Alighting from his minibus, he saw Mr Satyadew pinned to the front of the vehicle.

A nearby driver who saw the aftermath of the accident called the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

SCDF personnel managed to extract Mr Satyadew, who was pronounced dead at the scene at about 7.20am.

An autopsy certified that the cause of his death was multiple injuries consistent with those sustained in a motor vehicle collision. 

Hairulzat was not injured after the accident.

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The DPP said an inspector could not determine whether the minibus had any possible mechanical failure that may have contributed to the accident. Static brake tests and a visual inspection of the mechanical components of its braking system appeared to suggest that the braking system was in good condition.

She had asked the court to impose a jail sentence of at least two to four months and a disqualification period for driving of eight years.

The prosecutor said while his culpability is low considering that there were no signs of dangerous driving, Hairulzat was clearly careless in the way he drove.

DPP Pavithra added that a jail sentence was warranted to deter him from committing future offences.

For causing death by driving a vehicle without due care and attention, Hairulzat could have been jailed for up to three years and fined up to $10,000.

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