Henry Lee Khiam Beng, 63, had accelerated into the glass wall of Maple Bear Preschool at Midview City in Sin Ming Lane while trying to park. - Photos: Kelvin Chng, court documents
SINGAPORE: A private-hire driver who drove his car into a pre-school in Sin Ming was given the maximum fine of S$1,500 on Wednesday (Feb 12).
Henry Lee Khiam Beng, 63, who pleaded guilty to a charge of committing a negligent act, was also disqualified from driving for six months.
The court heard that about 10.30am on June 12, 2023, Lee, who has a history of driving offences, had accelerated into the glass wall of Maple Bear Preschool at Midview City in Sin Ming Lane while trying to park.
It was a Monday, and three children were sitting near the glass wall at the pre-school, which operates from 7am to 7pm on weekdays.
The children attending classes at the pre-school are aged 18 months to 6 years.
In court on Feb 12, District Judge Kok Shu-En said while it was very fortunate that there were no injuries, the potential harm was very significant.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie said on the day of the accident, Lee drove to Midview City for a car inspection at Lumens – the car rental company that leased him his vehicle.
While looking to reverse into a carpark outside the pre-school, he failed to shift gears appropriately.
He then stepped on the accelerator and drove the car forward, crashing into the glass wall of the pre-school and shattering one of the panels completely.
At that time, the three children – all around five years old – happened to be sitting in the classroom by the glass wall. The rest of the children and teachers were on their way to the classroom from another part of the pre-school.
Several shards of glass fell near the three shocked children, while the shattering of the glass caused a bookshelf to fall on a shoulder of a pupil there.
Lee contacted the police and explained what happened. He said no one was injured and added: “It is a daycare centre so the kids are scared.”
The child hit by the falling bookshelf was taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for a medical examination.
The medical fees amounted to $135 and were covered by Lumens. The company also paid $15,095 to the pre-school to cover the damage caused.
In court, DPP Cheah listed Lee’s prior traffic offences going back to 1996, including fines he had to pay for careless and inconsiderate driving, as well as speeding.
While both DPP Cheah and Lee’s lawyer, John Koh, were in agreement on the maximum fine of $1,500, they differed on the period of disqualification.
The prosecutor asked for a disqualification period of 12 months, while Koh asked for a maximum period of three months.
Koh said it was a genuine accident and that at Lee’s age, driving a private-hire vehicle is the only job he can secure to properly provide for his family.
Motorists whose driving licence has been suspended for 12 months or more will have it revoked and be required to retake a driving test before they can drive again.
District Judge Kok said there was nothing that suggested Lee did this deliberately.
However, she added: “Shifting gear is driving 101, and he was not even able to do that properly.”
For committing a negligent act endangering human life, Lee could have been jailed for up to three months, fined up to $1,500, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
