NUS professor charged with dangerous driving
He allegedly drove speeding Maserati against traffic
A National University of Singapore (NUS) professor who was allegedly caught on video speeding in a Maserati along Lorong Chuan was taken to court yesterday.
China-born Singaporean Henry Yeung Wai Chung, who turned 50 on Monday, was charged with dangerous driving.
He is said to have committed the offence while driving the car towards Braddell Road at around 1.15pm on Sept 7 and was arrested by the police five days later.
The court heard that he intends to plead guilty to his offence.
Yeung, who was unrepresented, was offered bail of $5,000, and will be back in court on Nov 5.
In a video posted on the Beh Chia Lor - Singapore Road Facebook page on Sept 11, a black Maserati could be seen speeding on the road towards a lorry.
The video showed the car swerving to the right, scraping the road divider and just missing the traffic light pole.
The car then went against traffic on the other side of the road, where it narrowly missed crashing head-first into an oncoming taxi and car.
The Maserati swerved back into the correct lane, before overtaking the lorry and stopping in front of it, preventing the vehicle from moving forward.
Police said no injuries were reported in the case.
Yeung is the acting head of the Department of Geography at NUS.
According to the NUS website, he was an assistant professor at the university from 1998 to 1999 before rising up the ranks.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
In his brief biography on the NUS website, Yeung stated: "Since February 2018, I have been appointed Distinguished Professor of the National University of Singapore in recognition of my 'outstanding academic excellence as well as academic and intellectual leadership'."
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, NUS said it is aware of the incident.
Its spokesman added: "Professor Henry Yeung will continue to carry out his academic duties. Pending completion of the legal proceedings, a caretaker head will assist with the day-to-day running of the department.
"As legal proceedings are currently under way, the university is not at liberty to comment on this private matter."
First-time offenders convicted of dangerous driving can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000.
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