70-year-old van driver Bhagwan Tulsidas Binwani, was sentenced on 26 October to 12 weeks imprisonment and fined $3,800, as well as being banned from holding all classes of driving licenses for 12 months, and another 8 years upon his release from prison.
He had driven without a valid driving license and killed a cyclist at a zebra crossing, according to TODAY.
What happened?
On 27 December 2021, Bhagwan Tulsidas Binwani, was operating his vehicle along Jurong Port Road in the direction of Corporation Road, he made a turn into the slip road leading to Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim.
It was at this juncture that Bhagwan failed to slow down as he approached a zebra crossing, and he collided with Khan Suruj, a construction worker, who was commuting on his bicycle.
The impact of the collision was severe, causing Khan, aged 54, to be catapulted off his bicycle, landing a short distance away from the collision point.
The gravity of the situation was immediately evident to Mr. Eugene Loo, a passing driver who happened to witness the incident.
He promptly stopped his vehicle and rushed to Khan’s aid. Khan was lying face down, motionless on the road, and bleeding from his ears and nose.
As Mr. Loo called for an ambulance, another compassionate passerby stopped to assist Khan. Mr. Loo also flagged down a passing police car, whose officers arrived at the scene and reported the accident.
Bhagwan’s Account and the Unfortunate Truth
During the subsequent investigations, Bhagwan Tulsidas Binwani asserted that he did not see the cyclist, Khan, before the collision.
Video footage from Mr. Loo’s dashcam provided crucial evidence. It revealed that Khan’s bicycle had already advanced onto the zebra crossing before Bhagwan’s van reached the stop line at the zebra crossing.
It led to Khan being flung off his bicycle and striking the van’s windscreen. Tragically, as the van continued forward, Khan’s legs were run over, ultimately causing him to lie face down on the road.
The victim was subsequently pronounced dead on 28 December 2021 after succumbing to his traumatic injuries, and it was determined in an autopsy that he died from an injury to his head.