Cabby jailed for knocking down, killing woman who flagged down his taxi
A taxi driver who knocked down and killed a woman who had flagged down his cab was sentenced on Thursday (Feb 12) to six months' jail and banned from driving for eight years.
Tan Hie Koon, 51, was driving in Geylang at around 4am on Sept 17, 2010, in search of a last fare for the night when he spotted Ms Bui Thi Hon Mai, 31.
The Vietnamese woman had just had supper with friends and was standing on the far right lane of Geylang Road, trying to flag a taxi.
Tan’s vehicle knocked the woman down before mounting a kerb and crashing into a pillar, reported The Straits Times.
The woman was pronounced dead on the spot.
Out on bail
Tan had been driving at 78kmh before swerving across two lanes towards his would-be passenger. The speed limit for that stretch of road is 50kmh.
He was convicted on Jan 12 this year.
Tan is appealing against both his conviction and sentence, and is out on $15,000 bail.
He had a clean record since getting his driving licence in 1982, his lawyer said. He is now unemployed and has not driven since the accident.
For causing death by a rash act, he could have been jailed for up to five years and fined.
Source: The Straits Times
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