Delivery rider on e-scooter hit 3-year-old boy in mall corridor
A three-year-old boy was knocked down by an e-scooter on the fourth storey of Nex shopping mall earlier this year.
After crashing into the boy, Neo Jia Ming, 20, who was working as a Deliveroo rider at the time, left the mall to complete a delivery.
The judge called for a probation suitability report for Neo yesterday, after he pleaded guilty to one charge of causing hurt by a rash act.
At about 7.10pm on March 18, the three-year-old boy was in a gift shop on the fourth storey of Nex mall with his father while his mother was sitting on a bench outside.
The boy decided to walk out of the shop and towards his mother.
Neo was riding his e-scooter along the corridor and saw the boy, but could not stop in time.
The e-scooter hit the boy on his forehead, causing him to fall backwards and hit his head on the floor.
A video of the incident captured by a mall camera was played in court yesterday. It showed the corridor crowded with people at the time.
Neo stopped his e-scooter after knocking into the boy and gave his name and contact number to the mother.
He then left to do a delivery.
The boy was taken to National University Hospital and was discharged on the same day.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lai said the prosecution would not object to the calling for a probation suitability report.
He said the corridor was crowded at the time, and Neo had placed other mall users in danger.
District Judge May Mesenas chastened Neo, saying he was moving faster than everyone else in the mall, and needed to be more careful and look out for others.
In response, Neo said he would never ride an e-scooter in a mall again.
He also told the court that he has since found a different job in the logistics industry.
He is expected to be back in court for sentencing on July 25.
For causing hurt by a rash act, he could be jailed up to a year, or fined up to $5,000, or both.
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