SINGAPORE, Sept 27 — While driving to a food tasting session at Orchard Hotel in November 2022, the founder of a bak kut teh restaurant lost control of his car and crashed into a tree along Nassim Road.
The accident killed a passenger in the car, and left another passenger with bruises and lacerations on his head, among other injuries.
Today, Ng Siak Hai, 88, pleaded guilty to two counts of driving without due care and attention. He was fined S$14,000 (RM44,957) and disqualified from driving any vehicle for eight years.
He is the founder of Ng Ah Sio Bak Kut Teh, and one of the founding members of seafood restaurant chain Jumbo Group.
What happened
The court heard that Ng Siak Hai, Ng Thit Hung, 72, and Tan Teck Soon, 76, were good friends for about 20 years and were part of a Teochew Association called Teo Ann Huay Kuan. Ng Siak Hai was also the association’s chairman.
On November 1, 2022 at around 6.30pm, the three men left the association’s headquarters at Lorong 8 Geylang and headed towards Orchard Hotel for food-tasting for the association’s 58th-anniversary dinner.
Ng Siak Hai drove the car — a blue Mercedes Benz — while Ng Thit Hung sat in the front passenger seat and Tan at the back.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Natalie Chu said Ng Siak Hai and Ng Thit Hung fastened their seat belts, while Tan fell asleep shortly after getting into the car.
While Ng Siak Hai was driving the car along the Central Expressway, he started to feel light-headed. Hence, he decided to exit onto Bukit Timah Road to drive at a slower speed.
But as he was travelling along a bend on Nassim Road towards Tanglin Road, Ng Siak Hai lost control of the car.
This caused the car to veer to the left and collide with a tree on the left side of the road.
“As a result of the impact, the car was overturned on its right side,” said DPP Chu.
“The accused, the deceased and Tan remained trapped inside the car until the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force officers arrived at the scene and extricated all three persons from the car by cutting off the roof of the car.”
While Ng Siak Hai and Tan were conscious, Ng Thit Hung had no pulse. The trio were then brought to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where Ng Thit Hung was eventually pronounced dead at 9.03pm.
An autopsy later found that Ng Thit Hung’s cause of death was ischaemic heart disease with an abdominal injury.
Tan was left with several bruises and lacerations on his head, a knee abrasion and a myocardial injury. He was warded for nine days and given 20 days’ hospitalisation leave.
Ng Siak Hai suffered a chest contusion, and he was warded from November 1 to 4 in 2022.
“Whilst the accused was known to have diabetes — among other medical conditions — at the time, it was not possible to determine if he had hypoglycaemia at the time of the accident,” said DPP Chu.
Hypoglycaemia — also known as low blood sugar — can cause blurry vision, shaking and seizures, among other symptoms.
DPP Chu said that there was no footage of the incident, and that Ng Siak Hai said there were no mechanical issues with the car.
The prosecutor added that at the time of the incident, the weather was clear, the road surface was dry and the traffic volume was light.
Medical conditions
DPP Chu sought a maximum fine of S$15,000, and a disqualification period from driving any vehicle for eight years.
“Given the circumstances of the accused’s medical conditions... including end-stage renal failure, we will accept there is some basis for the court to (provide) leniency if it is so minded,” she said on whether Ng Siak Hai should be jailed.
She added that Ng Siak Hai has had a history of traffic offences for speeding, careless driving and failing to conform to directional signs. These took place in 1993, 1998 and 2021 respectively.
Ng Siak Hai’s lawyers called for a lower fine of S$11,000, noting that the elderly man is semi-retired and draws a monthly pay of S$8,000 as the consultant to the bak ku teh restaurant he founded.
“The total of the maximum fines as submitted by the prosecutor is beyond his financial means,” said Choo Si Sen of Tan Lee & Partners.
The lawyer added that Ng Siak Hai requires kidney dialysis thrice a week and is on regular haemodialysis for renal failure. He also suffers from diabetes and hypertension.
Ng Siak Hai had also demonstrated sincere and genuine remorse by attending Ng Thit Hung’s funeral twice and pleading guilty early to his charges, added the lawyer.
Anyone found guilty of driving a vehicle without due care and attention, and causing the death of another person, can be jailed up to three years, fined up to S$10,000 or both.
As for driving a vehicle without due care and attention, and causing grievous hurt, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$5,000 or both.
Both charges also carry a disqualification from driving any vehicle for eight years and five years respectively. — TODAY
