SINGAPORE: A woman who abandoned her car to have supper with her friends after crashing the vehicle in Bugis was sentenced to two weeks’ jail and a S$2,400 fine on Friday (July 31).
Carrissa Loh was also served with a one-year disqualification.
The 31-year-old had earlier pleaded guilty to five charges, including failing to render assistance to officers and causing an obstruction.
The accident happened while Loh was driving her car along Middle Road at about 3am on Feb 1. Three of her friends were in the vehicle with her as they were heading towards Cuppage Road.
At the signalised junction of Middle Road and Queens Street, Loh lost control of her car as she was making a right turn. It caused the car to mount a road curb and uproot a plastic bollard.
Instead of remaining at the accident scene, Loh and her friends alighted from the car and went to Cuppage Road for supper.
The car’s rear wheels had mounted the centre divider. The front of the car, which remained on the road, obstructed the rightmost lane of Middle Road.
A passer-by reported the accident, and the car was towed away. The police contacted Loh and told her to return to the scene, but she refused. She was warned that it was an offence to abandon her car.
The court heard that Loh was involved in a separate incident in 2023, where she lied to police officers to cover up for her then boyfriend, who was barred from driving.
Marcus Ng Weii was driving along Kallang Paya Lebar Expressway towards Tampines Expressway on Feb 19, 2023, with Loh as his passenger when a police officer spotted the car and signalled them to stop.
Ng stopped the car a distance away and switched seats with Loh.
Loh knew that Ng should not have been driving, as he had been disqualified after getting caught for drink-driving.
When questioned by the police officer, Loh claimed she was the driver of the car, and repeated the lie when they were brought to the Traffic Police Headquarters for investigations.
For failing to render assistance to police officers, an offender can be fined up to $1,000, jailed for up to three months, or both.
For leaving a vehicle at rest causing obstruction or inconvenience to road users, an offender can be fined up to $2,000, jailed for up to three months, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
