SINGAPORE — After more than seven hours of drinking that included pit stops at three different locations, a man got into his car to drive home.
For reasons unknown, Yoong Kok Kai, 44, ended up at Tuas Checkpoint instead on March 24, 2023, driving in excess of 100kmh.
He lost control of his Lexus car before hitting an auxiliary police officer — leaving the man in a vegetative state and causing more than $37,290 in property damage.
"This was a needlessly senseless and tragic accident that stemmed from the accused's decision to not only drink but drive," said District Judge Kok Shu-En.
The judge added that beyond the damage to government property, Yoong caused grave hurt to a young man.
On March 17, Yoong was sentenced to three years and six months' jail. He will also be disqualified from holding all classes of driving licences for 10 years after his release.
Yoong had pleaded guilty on Feb 27 to causing grievous hurt by dangerous driving and driving under the influence.
The victim, Ng Yi Shu, 30, who was on duty when the accident occurred, had a traumatic brain injury. Now bedbound and non-communicative, he has to be fed via a tube through his nose.
"This young man is still alive today, but his quality of life has been irreversibly damaged," said the judge, adding that Ng's family will have to live with the consequences of Yoong's folly for the rest of their lives.
Yoong's alcohol intake that fuelled the accident started around 5pm on March 23, 2023, at a restaurant in Fraser Street, near Beach Road.
After having 1½ pints of beer, he drove to another restaurant in South Bridge Road, where he polished off a third of a 500ml bottle of whiskey.
Around 10pm, Yoong walked to a nearby KTV lounge and shared a 3-litre tower of beer with a waitress.
Yoong decided to call it a night after more than seven hours of drinking, and he got into his car to drive home in the direction of Yishun.
He was caught speeding along the AYE around 12.30am on March 24, 2023, travelling around 134kmh.
Yoong was later spotted speeding along the Tuas Checkpoint car departure lane viaduct, clocking speeds of up to 119kmh — more than double the 50kmh limit.
It was not stated how he ended up driving in the direction of Tuas Checkpoint.
The court heard that Ng, an auxiliary police officer on duty at the time, spotted Yoong's car speeding in his direction.
Yoong lost control of his car while approaching a bend, and hit a divider before mounting a kerb and striking Ng, who had run to hide behind a safety bollard and safety gantry in an attempt to get out of the car's way.
The impact of the collision was so great that it uprooted the safety bollard, gantry, barrier and a traffic light.
Ng was thrown into the air upon impact and landed on his face. He was later found to have suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and extensive facial fractures.
Ng went through multiple operations between March and June 2023 before he was transferred to a general ward.
The accident has left him in a vegetative state.
Yoong was arrested after the accident. He was later found to have registered 153mg of alcohol in every 100ml of blood, in excess of the 80mg limit.
In total, he drove for about 27km in an intoxicated state.
As a result of the accident, Ng is permanently incapacitated and will not be able to feed, move, bathe, dress, or even go to the toilet without assistance.
"He cannot walk, he cannot talk, he cannot take care of himself, and he cannot work to support himself ever again. Till he dies, he will require care and assistance in all aspects of his daily living," the prosecution had submitted.
As at Jan 30, Ng had also incurred hospital bills amounting to more than $455,000 — including more than $10,500 that will have to be paid out of pocket, and more than $5,000 from his MediSave account.
Yoong, who caused more than $37,000 in damage at the scene of the accident, has so far made no restitution.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that he was sentenced to three years and 10 months’ jail.
