An 18-year-old teenager in Singapore has been handed 18 charges after allegedly leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase along the East Coast Parkway (ECP), reaching speeds of up to 174km/h before crashing into six vehicles.
The teen, who cannot be named as he was under 18 at the time of the alleged offences, reportedly told the court he intends to plead guilty at his next hearing in July.
According to court proceedings, the charges include dangerous driving causing hurt, driving while underage, failing to stop when ordered by police officers, using deregistered vehicles, and displaying false number plates.
The case has sparked strong reactions online, with many Singaporeans questioning how the teen allegedly managed to repeatedly access and drive multiple vehicles despite being underage.
High-Speed Chase Along ECP
The most serious incident reportedly took place on Jan. 16, 2026, at around 10:50pm.
Traffic Police officers were patrolling the Paya Lebar area when the teenager allegedly sped off after noticing them nearby. What followed was a dangerous pursuit across several roads in Singapore.
Court documents stated that the teen allegedly drove at 174km/h on the ECP, nearly double the expressway speed limit of 90km/h. He was also said to have travelled at 96km/h along Guillemard Road, where the speed limit is only 40km/h.
During the chase, he allegedly ran multiple red lights and even drove against the flow of traffic at certain points.
The pursuit eventually ended after the vehicle allegedly crashed into six stationary cars. Police said the teen then fled on foot before officers arrested him shortly after.
The driver and a 15-year-old passenger in the sixth vehicle reportedly suffered injuries following the collision.
Deregistered Cars And False Number Plates
Investigations later revealed that the teenager was allegedly driving a deregistered car fitted with a false number plate during the Jan. 16 incident.
Police also said a vaporiser and pod were recovered from the vehicle after his arrest. However, no further action was taken regarding those items due to insufficient evidence.
Authorities further disclosed that this was not the first time the teen had been caught driving illegally.
On Jan. 8, 2026, he was allegedly found driving another deregistered vehicle with a fake number plate. The incident came to light after police checks were conducted at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre carpark.
Investigators said the teen had driven the car from Haig Road to the MBS area before being detected.
Grandmother’s Car Taken Without Permission
The teenager also faces allegations linked to an earlier incident dating back to Jan. 30, 2025.
Police said he had allegedly taken his grandmother’s car without her consent after finding the ignition key inside the unlocked vehicle.
He reportedly drove around Singapore for about an hour before returning the car. His grandmother later contacted the police after discovering the vehicle missing.
The car was eventually located nearby.
The case has reignited conversations around reckless driving, illegal car usage, and road safety in Singapore, especially involving young drivers and high-speed pursuits on expressways.