SINGAPORE: Over a 12-day period in June, three men were charged with driving under the influence of drugs – their crimes detected only after they were involved in accidents.
Two of the men are accused of having consumed methamphetamine or “Ice” when they were in control of their vehicles, while the third is said to have been driving under the influence of etomidate.
Etomidate is an anaesthetic that has been used in e-vaporisers, known as Kpods.
Clinical toxicologist Jonathan Tang, who is with the Emergency Medicine Department at the National University Hospital, said he has encountered a handful of patients presenting with traumatic injuries from road traffic accidents under the influence of etomidate-laced vapes.
“Similar to alcohol intoxication, etomidate use affects the user’s ability to drive and places them and other road users at risk,” he added.
Several reported traffic accidents in the last 16 months have been found to involve the use of drugs.
They include an incident in Punggol on May 13, 2025, when a car driven by a man, who had a female passenger, collided with a bus.
Police officers discovered 42 vapes and more than 1,200 pods in the vehicle, with some containing etomidate.
The 28-year-old woman died as a result of the accident. Etomidate was found in the car driver’s and woman’s blood.
In February, Valerie Lee (Pasir Ris-Changi GRC) raised the issue in Parliament. She asked if the Traffic Police (TP), as part of their standard protocol, assessed motorists involved in traffic accidents for vaping or drug use.
Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam said in the event of a traffic accident, TP will assess motorists for impaired driving.
“If TP suspects drug or etomidate use, a blood test will be required. Drivers may be liable for the offence of driving while under (the) influence,” he said.
In his reply, Shanmugam also revealed that there were 38 traffic accidents linked to drug and etomidate use between 2023 and 2025. Of these, 19 cases were fatal.
Among the fatal cases, 10 involved drugs, while nine involved the use of etomidate, the police later said.
Of the 38 accidents, 29 had occured in 2025, with 18 cases involving the use of etomidate. The other seven involved the use of both drugs and etomidate.
Tang said impairment from etomidate increases the risk of delayed reaction, poor hazard perception, and loss of vehicle control.
“This not only endangers the driver but also significantly increases the risk of harm to passengers, pedestrians, and other road users,” he said.
Tang added: “It has also been reported that etomidate Kpod use can induce psychiatric symptoms such as depressed mood, increased aggression and impulsivity, leading to suicide attempts.
“These effects significantly compromise the ability to safely operate a vehicle.”
Dangerous driving
Traffic deaths hit a 10-year high in 2025, with 149 killed, compared with 141 in 2016. There were 142 deaths in 2024. The number of injured people also increased, from 9,342 in 2024 to 9,955 in 2025.
Given the dire situation on the roads, The Straits Times has been running a series of stories to call on all road users to be more careful.
The recent alleged offenders in court include Mohamed Firdouz Mohamed Akram, who was handed multiple charges on June 19 including causing injuries to two people while driving in a dangerous manner in Kallang.
The 36-year-old was involved in a collision with a taxi, leaving the driver of the cab and a passenger injured. After the accident, Firdouz abandoned his car and fled.
He was arrested later and found to have consumed Ice. Police said drugs, vaporisers and weapons were found in his vehicle.
On June 10, Puah Zhe Cong was handed seven charges under the Road Traffic Act, including dangerous driving causing death and failing to stop after the accident.
The 34-year-old, who allegedly consumed etomidate, is accused of causing one death and two injuries while driving under the influence of drugs.
On June 8, Sivakandesh, 32, was charged in court with several offences, including driving while under the influence of methamphetamine, after his Mercedes-Benz crashed it into a rubbish chute in Yishun Street 11.
The car struck two concrete bollards, a parked vehicle and a rubbish chute before coming to a stop. The vehicle’s registration plates were removed after the accident.
For driving while under the influence of an intoxicating substance, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to a year, fined up to S$10,000, or both. A repeat offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to S$20,000.
In their statement on June 18, the police said that driving under the influence of drugs is an extremely dangerous and irresponsible act.
“The police will take firm action against motorists who drive under the influence of drugs, psychoactive substances, intoxicating substances or alcohol.” - The Straits Times/ANN
