47-year-old Singapore police station inspector, Liong Hong Yeow, was fined $2,000 on Friday (11 August) after hitting a motorcyclist with his police car in an incident that took place in October 2022, resulting in the latter suffering fractures to his foot, according to The Straits Times.
What happened?
On a seemingly routine evening patrol on October 8, 2022, Liong Hong Yeow, attached to the Jurong Police Division, was maneuvering a police car around the streets of Teck Whye.
At the time, Liong was responsible for escorting an individual from Choa Chu Kang Neighbourhood Police Centre to the Institute of Mental Health, details of which remain undisclosed.
As Liong approached a junction on Choa Chu Kang North 5, with the traffic light shining green, he made a discretionary right turn.
Simultaneously at the same time, a 39-year-old part-time deliveryman was making his way towards the very same junction on his motorcycle, approaching from the opposite direction.
In an attempt to avoid a collision, the motorcyclist swerved to the left, but Liong’s police car couldn’t stop in time and hit the motorcycle, propelling the deliveryman onto the unforgiving asphalt.
In the aftermath of the collision, Liong immediately checked on the injured motorcyclist and called for an ambulance.
The deliveryman was transported to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he underwent a six-day stay and received 62 days of hospitalization leave.
Legal Proceedings
Liong pleaded guilty to causing harm to the deliveryman due to driving without due care and attention. The court imposed a fine of $2,000.
Furthermore, Liong also received a year-long disqualification from holding or obtaining any class of driving licenses.
A spokesperson for the Singapore Police Force said that their officers are expected to maintain the highest standards of conduct and uphold the law, and they deal with law-breaking officers accordingly, including charging them in court.