Koh Chew Wa was sentenced to a year’s jail on Dec 18, 2024, after he pleaded guilty to three charges. - Photo: ST
SINGAPORE: After the speeding Mercedes-Benz he was driving crashed into a jaywalking pedestrian and flung him into the air, the director of an interior design firm fled the scene.
Not only did Koh Chew Wa, 37, not render help, he even sent his car for repairs to get rid of evidence, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Matthew Choo.
The DPP also decried his actions as “cowardly” and “deplorable”.
Davin Ng Min You, 26, who was a pharmacist at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, died in hospital on the day of the accident on Oct 29, 2022.
Koh was sentenced to a year’s jail on Wednesday (Dec 18) after he pleaded guilty to three charges of causing death by driving without due care and attention, failing to render assistance after an accident, and obstructing the course of justice.
Two other charges under the Road Traffic Act were taken into consideration for his sentencing.
The prosecutor had noted that Koh was fined $500 and handed 12 demerit points for speeding in September 2022, a month before the accident.
Koh, who is the sole director and shareholder of Design Plus Interior, was also disqualified from driving for eight years after his release from prison.
The court heard that at around midnight on Oct 29, 2022, Koh was driving a silver Mercedes-Benz from Sim Lim Tower towards a pub in Robinson Road. A friend of his was in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.
As Koh drove along Church Street towards Cecil Street, he approached a signalised traffic junction where the light was in his favour.
Ng was jaywalking near the traffic junction. Koh failed to slow down or keep a proper lookout ahead and crashed into Ng.
Footage of the accident played in court showed Ng noticing Koh’s car as he jaywalked. He broke into a run across the road, but was hit and flung several metres into the air.
DPP Choo said: “The force of the impact of the collision can be inferred from the deceased being tossed like a ragdoll in the air, before crashing back down onto the road and lying lifeless.”
Koh was driving between 70 kmh and 97kmh at the time of the accident, significantly above the speed limit of 50kmh, said DPP Choo.
Ng died of a brain injury at Singapore General Hospital at 3.30am the same day. He also had skull and leg fractures.
A toxicology report indicated that Ng had likely consumed alcohol before his death, but the blood ethanol concentration detected was low.
After the crash, Koh’s friend, who had heard a loud impact but did not see what happened, asked him what happened and asked him to stop. But Koh did not respond and continued driving.
Koh subsequently parked his car at the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Centre in Maxwell Road. Both he and his friend alighted and took a private-hire vehicle to the latter’s home.
At noon the same day, Koh arranged for his car to be towed to a workshop for repairs – he had noticed that his car’s windscreen was cracked on the right. DPP Choo said Koh did this in order to conceal evidence.
A workshop employee informed Koh that he had to lodge a police report after hearing about his accident involving a pedestrian. Koh acknowledged his comment, but asked for repairs to start as he needed his car for work.
He also told the workshop manager that he had made an accident report with his insurer when in fact he did not lodge any police or accident report.
The police towed Koh’s car from the workshop at 5pm the same day. No repairs had been done.
DPP Choo wrote in his sentencing submissions: “(Koh’s) moment of carelessness carried extraordinary impacts that led to the untimely loss of a young life whose final moments in life was marked with much suffering.
“Instead of facing up to his actions, (Koh) chose not to stop and render assistance. Deplorably, (he) went as far as to try to eradicate evidence of his mistake.”
Koh’s lawyer, Christopher Bridges, wrote in his mitigation plea that his client attempted to prevent the accident by applying his brakes.
“It is unfortunate that the victim miscalculated the distance between himself and the car and chose to continue instead of stopping before the double white lines,” wrote Bridges.
The lawyer argued that Koh had low culpability as the victim had been jaywalking. DPP Choo said the prosecution had lowered its proposed sentence for Koh based on this factor. - The Straits Times/ANN
