Singapore driver who appealed for lower fine ends up with two weeks in jail instead

On November 8, a speeding driver in Singapore who crashed into a motorcyclist picking fruit on Rifle Range Road received a two-week jail sentence following an appeal by the prosecution. Able Wang Ziyi, the convicted driver, was initially fined S$8,000 and given a five-year driving ban by the district court, but the appeal was unsuccessful.

The incident occurred on July 6, 2021, when Wang lost control of his car on a wet bend and collided with a guardrail where three parked motorcycles were located. One of the motorcyclists, Wong Chong Ming, suffered deep cuts to his left leg and spent nine days in the hospital, undergoing two surgeries.

Wang had appealed the fine and ban, requesting a reduction to S$4,000, but the appeal was rejected. In a judgment delivered on November 6, Justice See Kee Oon from the Appellate Division deemed the original judgment "wrong in principle and manifestly inadequate." He disagreed with the district court's ruling that Wang's speed of 53km/h was not excessive.

Justice See agreed with the prosecution that Wang's speeding should be considered an additional culpability factor. Expert analysis revealed that Wang was traveling three km/h above the speed limit at the bend, with previous speeds between 53km/h and 73km/h. As a repeat offender, Wang's previous speeding convictions in 1998 and 2004 could have doubled the maximum penalty. However, the judge believed that imposing the maximum S$10,000 fine would not adequately convey the gravity of Wang's actions or serve as a deterrent.

Wang had a total of 25 driving offences on record, with the most recent being in 2019. The judge upheld the five-year driving ban, which will begin upon Wang's release from jail.