E-scooter rider jailed after crashing into woman

Riding his e-scooter with a cigarette in one hand, Tan Gim Moh cut into an adjacent pathway without slowing down.

Trying to avoid pedestrians who were walking on the bicycle lane he was on, he knocked into part-time sales executive Tan Peck Lay from behind, causing her to fall and fracture her wrist.

Yesterday, Tan, 61, was jailed for 18 days after pleading guilty to causing grievous hurt to Ms Tan, 58, by a rash act.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng had asked for at least three weeks' jail, arguing that pedestrian safety was of paramount importance.

Tan, a prime mover driver, was riding at 20kmh to 25kmh on the bicycle lane along Yishun Ring Road on Feb 25 last year.

At about 7.25pm, Ms Tan was walking on the path next to the bike lane, which is gazetted as a shared path.

It has a speed limit of 25kmh.

Tan tried to stop when he realised he had cut into her path, but he lost his balance and hit her, causing her to fall forward onto the ground.

Tan and two eyewitnesses, whom he had been trying to avoid, helped the victim.

When she asked for his contact details so she could seek medical compensation, he initially refused, insisting she had stepped into his lane.

He relented only after she insisted.

Later at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), she was found to have a fractured wrist, bruising on her face and abrasions.

She was given 48 days' medical leave, and Tan has since compensated her $1,680 for her loss of earnings during that time.

FINED

In a separate case, e-scooter rider Tham Chee Boon was fined $3,500 after a near collision caused a pedestrian to stumble and hit her head on the ground.

In what District Judge Christopher Tan called an atypical case, Tham, 36, a paramedic with a private company, pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt to Ms Yeo Eng Koong by a negligent act.

Judge Tan noted there had been no contact made with Ms Yeo during the incident on March 29 last year.

Stressing the case should not be used as a precedent, he said Tham did not speed and managed to apply his brakes to avoid a collision.

Tham had been stationed at Woodlands Fire Station.

Going home after his shift, he was riding towards a traffic light junction in front of Block 362 Woodlands Avenue 5 at about 10kmh at 9.30pm.

Ms Yeo had just crossed the junction and was walking towards the path Tham was on.

Their respective views were obstructed by large electrical boxes and construction barricades, but Tham braked in time when he realised Ms Yeo had stepped out from the path.

Startled, Ms Yeo stumbled backwards, hit her head on the ground and lost consciousness for about a minute.

Tham helped Ms Yeo, holding her head to prevent further injury and asked a passer-by to call for an ambulance.

Taken to KTPH, Ms Yeo was found to have skull fractures and bleeding in the brain, undergoing immediate surgery and was discharged about two weeks later.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhamad Imaduddien asked for at least a week's jail.

He said Tham did not take sufficient precautions, failing to reduce his speed even though his view was blocked.

For causing grievous hurt by a negligent act, he could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined up to $5,000.