Singapore: An investigator from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) failed to maintain proper vigilance while driving and collided with an 84-year-old pedestrian, resulting in her death.
Norazlan Abdul Aziz, 44, was sentenced to two weeks in prison and five years of driving ban on Friday (October 22).
He pleaded guilty to an act of negligence that did not constitute a crime of homicide. He did not stop on the single white line at the unsignaled intersection of No. 1 Choa Chu Kang Avenue.
The court was informed that Norazlan pulled out of the multi-storey car park at No. 808, Block 1, Choa Chu Kang at about 4 pm on September 21, 2017.
Afterwards, he drove along the two-way service road on the single-lane road at Block 807D, No. 1 Choa Chu Kang Avenue, intending to drive out of the service road to the main road at No. 1 Choa Chu Kang Avenue.
The victim was an 84-year-old woman who was walking along the sidewalk between the service road and the main road.
The court was informed that she began to cross the service road connecting the block of the HDB to the exit of the main road No. 1 Choa Chu Kang Avenue and was likely to be seen by Norazlan.
However, Norazlan did not pay attention to her. There was a stop line at the exit, but he did not slow down or stop. He turned to the left without noticing the victim, he had already crossed the road from his left.
His car collided with a woman on the left front and she fell on the road in front of the car.
Bystanders Tried To Alert Him
A bystander in a nearby childcare center heard a loud “bang” and turned to see the victim lying motionless on the ground. He ran to the car and yelled at Norazlan to remind him, but to no avail.
Norazlan parked the car for a few seconds, then drove forward again, running over the woman—bystanders witnessed the process.
The estimated average speed of Norazlan’s cars as they travel along service roads is 10 to 13 kilometers.
The woman was taken to the hospital with a severely torn scalp and serious internal injuries to her face and head. She did not respond to the resuscitation and was pronounced dead within a few hours.
The defense lawyer said that Norazlan deeply regretted the death of the victim, and the incident “continued to haunt him and seriously affected his conscience.”
After the accident, he stopped immediately, tried his best to help the victim, called an ambulance and cooperated with the police investigation.
The defense emphasized Norazlan’s record as a police officer-he joined SPF as a corporal in 1999 and later became a station inspector. The lawyer said that he has served as an investigator at the Jurong Police Station for the past 10 years and has received ministerial awards and other awards.
For negligence that does not constitute a crime of homicide, Norazlan may be sentenced to up to two years in jail, a fine, or both.
