SINGAPORE: The taxi driver whose actions led to a crash that killed teenager Kathy Ong and seriously injured three of her NUS friends had committed a series of serious traffic offences previously.
Yap Kok Hua, a Premier Taxis driver, was jailed for eight weeks and banned from driving for five years on Friday (Aug 2) after he pleaded guilty to one charge of causing death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide and a second of causing grievous hurt to three other passengers.
Two other counts were taken into consideration for sentencing.
According to court documents and police records, Yap – who held a valid Taxi Driver’s Vocational Licence (TDVL) at the time of the accident – had several traffic offences in his name, including running red lights on three occasions, speeding twice, and driving carelessly twice, among others.
At the time of the fatal crash, 55-year-old Yap had 12 points on his driving licence – again for running a red light.
His driving record surfaced during his recent court hearings. Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh said Yap clearly did not give “due regard or consideration to the safety of fellow road users”.
In sentencing, Second Principal District Judge Victor Yeo said Yap’s previous offences were “not minor traffic transgressions” and that it reflected his attitude to road safety.
READ: Scrap discretionary right turns at all junctions soon, MPs urge as Road Traffic Act amendments passed
ONE DEAD, THREE SERIOUSLY INJURED
The crash happened at the junction of Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi Road at around 7.30pm on Apr 19, 2018.
Yap took a discretionary right turn when the green right-turn arrow was unlit and collided with an oncoming car going straight. The driver of the other vehicle, 21-year-old Ng Li Ning, was going at a speed between 92kmh and 97kmh, according to the statement of facts issued during Yap’s trial.
Ng has been charged with dangerous driving.
19-year-old Kathy Ong was described by her friends as someone who loved life and who made deep connections with those around her. (Photo: Kathy Ong’s family)
NUS undergraduate Kathy Ong was sitting in the left rear passenger seat. The collision left her with multiple injuries, and she died a few hours later in hospital.
The three other victims, all 22, suffered serious injuries. The first had several cuts with glass in his wounds as well as a head injury.
The second man had a spine fracture and was given medical leave for 144 days, while the third man, who was seated next to Kathy, suffered traumatic brain injury and was vegetative after the crash. He also had injuries to his lungs, pelvis, kidney and abdomen.
Yap, who admitted he had seen Ng coming towards him, decided to make the right turn. The court was told that visibility was good, the weather was clear, the road surface dry and traffic lights working at that time.
READ: Kathy was a ‘people person’, loved by many: Family, friends of NUS undergrad
‘UNWILLINGNESS TO COMPLY WITH TRAFFIC LAWS’
Mr Koh told the court that Yap’s driving record was relevant in the case because it “reflects his attitude towards road safety as well as his unwillingness to comply with the law”.
Of the offences on record, seven were flagged as “serious” by the police:
According to a police document provided to the court, his record includes:
Nov 1992, speeding, S$130 fine, 4 demerit points
July 2000, running a red light, S$200 fine, 12 demerit points
November 2000, running a red light, S$200 fine, 12 demerit points
January 2003, careless driving, S$200 fine, 6 demerit points
May 2003, parking on double yellow lines, S$70 fine, no points
September 2010, careless driving, S$150, 6 demerit points
September 2010, waiting at no waiting sign, no fine, no points
August 2014, speeding, S$130 fine, 4 demerit points
July 2016, running a red light, S$200 fine, 12 demerit points
Given his previous convictions, Yap “ought to know” that traffic rules are “not flouted with impunity”, the prosecutor added.
But despite this, Yap decided to approach traffic safety with “the same nonchalance as he did in the past”, this time causing a teenager to die and three others to be seriously injured.
Judge Yeo added: “As rightly pointed out by the learned DPP, these are not minor traffic transgressions, and (Yap’s) bad driving record is relevant in that it reflects (Yap’s) attitude towards road safety as well as his unwillingness to comply with traffic laws.
“I did not think that the culpability of the accused could be said to be reduced in this case, as quite clearly (Yap) through his own negligent conduct, had caused a serious collision which resulted in the death of one of his passengers and caused grievous injuries to the three other passengers through no fault of theirs.”
REQUIREMENTS TO BECOME A TAXI DRIVER
Anyone with a valid driving licence can apply for a TDVL. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) approaches the traffic police for the applicant’s driving record and LTA will make the final decision on the application. The driver will have to undergo a taxi driver’s test.
Taxi driver Yap Kok Hua, 55, at the state court on Jan 11, 2019. (Photo: TODAY/Raj Nadarajan)
An applicant with a suspended or disqualified driving licence can be considered, after the period of suspension or disqualification is over, according to the Government’s One Motoring website.
“Applicants for a Vocational Licence must comply with LTA’s requirements before being issued with the licence. They must also continue to maintain acceptable records in order to renew their Vocational Licences,” LTA said on its website.
The vocational licence has its own demerit points system.
According to the law, a vocational licence may be revoked if the total number of demerit points awarded within 24 months of the first offence exceeds 20.
Once a driver receives a TDVL, they can approach a taxi firm to rent a cab, although the company can conduct its own checks.
LTA has been approached for comment about Yap’s driving record.
Premier Taxis said on its website it sets “the highest standards for our drivers” and that they should have “good driving skills and record”.
A spokesperson for Premier Taxis said it would reserve comment on the issue.
