SINGAPORE: A driver was fined S$4,800 (US$3,500) on Monday (Jan 20) for running a red light and hitting a cyclist, who suffered a spinal fracture.

Ian Tai Zhi Jian, 35, was also given a mandatory five-year ban from driving. He pleaded guilty to a single charge of careless driving that caused grievous hurt.

The prosecution sought the maximum fine rather than a jail term because the cyclist admitted to crossing the road when the pedestrian light was still red.

At about 11.05am on Jul 25, 2024, Tai was driving along Jurong Town Hall Road towards Bukit Batok Road. He was in the first lane of a four-lane road.

While Tai was a distance away, the traffic light signal at the cross junction of Jurong Town Hall Road and Boon Lay Way turned red.

When Tai reached the cross junction, he did not follow the red light signal but drove ahead without slowing down.

He hit the cyclist, who was cycling across the pedestrian crossing from Tai’s right to his left.

The cyclist was taken to the hospital, where he received minimally invasive surgery for a spinal fracture. He was warded for nine days and given 68 days of hospitalisation leave.

A medical report issued after the cyclist was discharged stated that he was likely to recover, and the injury may not be permanent.

The red light was showing for at least four seconds before the collision happened, according to footage from Tai’s in-vehicle camera that was shown in court.

The footage showed the cyclist was flung into the air upon impact with Tai’s car.

Prior to the accident, a lorry travelling in the fourth lane and ahead of Tai’s car had also slowed down and stopped due to the traffic light turning red.

It was clear that Tai did not pay attention to the traffic light signal when he moved ahead, the prosecutor said.

Tai has a previous compounded offence of failing to follow a red light signal in January 2020.

The prosecutor said that in normal circumstances, given Tai’s culpability and the harm caused to the cyclist, the threshold for imprisonment would be crossed.

However, as the cyclist crossed the road when the pedestrian light was also red against him, the prosecution did not press for a jail term.

The defence lawyer said that while Tai bore full responsibility for the accident, there was a “unique confluence of factors” that led to the “extremely unfortunate situation”.

Apart from the cyclist crossing the road while there was a red man signal, he pointed to the cyclist’s decision to cycle across the pedestrian crossing.

The lawyer argued that it was unclear if the extent of the injuries would have been the same if the cyclist had walked his bicycle across instead.

However, the judge said the cyclist did not cycle across the road fast, and it did not appear that his speed would have affected the outcome of his injuries.

What mattered was the speed at which Tai’s car was going, said the judge, while noting that Tai was not speeding.

The punishment for driving without due care or attention that causes grievous hurt is a jail term of up to two years, a fine of up to S$5,000 or both.

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