SINGAPORE: After teaching a student how to park at ComfortDelGro Driving Centre (CDC), a driving instructor was driving inside the car park when he collided with another student who was crossing the road.
Seah Choon Chai, a 57-year-old Singaporean, was fined S$2,500 (US$1,800) and banned from driving for six months on Wednesday (Jan 24).
He pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt by a negligent act endangering personal safety.
The court heard that Seah was at the driving circuit inside CDC at 205 Ubi Avenue 4 on the night of Jan 25 last year.
He taught a student how to park. When the lesson ended at about 10.05pm, Seah drove the student to the nearby train station before driving back to CDC, intending to park the vehicle there and head home.
When Seah entered CDC, he failed to keep a proper lookout for oncoming vehicles or pedestrians while making a right turn.
He knocked into the victim, a 34-year-old woman who was taking driving lessons at the centre.
Seah looked out of his window and saw the victim seated on the ground. He stopped the car before alighting to check on her.
The victim shouted at Seah for colliding into her, and Seah noticed that she was bleeding on her left arm.
Seah’s colleague helped to call for an ambulance, while the victim’s husband called the police.
Closed-circuit television footage captured the accident.
The victim was shown crossing the road at a junction inside CDC at about 10.20pm.
Seah’s vehicle was seen driving straight towards the victim and turning right without slowing down.
The right side of his car hit the victim and she fell on the ground.
The woman was taken to hospital with pain in her elbow that limited movement in her shoulder. Her elbow was also swollen, with mild deformity.
Her wound was dressed and her arm was placed in a plaster cast and sling.
Seah paid the victim S$819.33 in August 2023 for the medical costs she incurred.
The fine Seah was handed was the maximum fine for causing hurt by a negligent act.
He could have also been jailed for up to six months.
ComfortDelGro Driving Centre said Seah was immediately reassigned to a non-teaching role following the incident.
“With the outcome of today’s hearing, we are working closely with the National Transport Workers’ Union to determine the administrative actions that would be taken on Mr Seah,” it added.
