A man who drove while intoxicated, causing the death of one cyclist and injuring another, has been sentenced to two years in jail. After consuming multiple glasses of brandy and liquor at a nightclub in Orchard Plaza, Lye Shiwen Jimmy, 40, drove his friend’s Mercedes-Benz in the early hours of Nov. 30, 2022. He drove from the Orchard area to Adam Road, where the two victims were cycling. Lye failed to keep a proper lookout and collided with the first victim, who was flung off his bicycle and later pronounced dead at the hospital. He then struck the second victim, who was hit on the right side and lost control of his bicycle. Immediately after the collisions, Lye drove to a petrol kiosk to inspect his car for damages. The police later traced his vehicle to a car park and arrested him. Nearly two years after the accident, on Sep. 23, 2024, Lye was sentenced to two years in jail and disqualified from driving for 10 years.
Consumed multiple glasses of alcohol
According to court documents, Lye met friends at the nightclub on the night of Nov. 29, 2022. After drinking several glasses of brandy and liquor, he left the nightclub at 3am on Nov. 30, driving his friend’s Mercedes-Benz G-Class sports utility vehicle (SUV). From the Orchard area, he headed to Adam Road, where the two victims were cycling with another friend.
Three cyclists riding in single file
The three cyclists met up before 6:29am on Nov. 30 and were riding along Lane 3 of Adam Road in a single file, with the two victims positioned at the rear. They had safety blinking lights attached to the back of their bicycles. At around the same time, Lye was driving along Adam Road toward MacRitchie Reservoir.
Sped up without signalling
Shortly after passing an SPC petrol kiosk, Lye abruptly switched from lane four to lane three without signalling and accelerated. The cyclists were travelling straight on lane three, as lane four of Adam Road, which was the left-most lane, was connected to a slip road into the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). He collided with the first victim, who was in the last position on lane three. The impact flung the victim off his bicycle, sending him some distance down the road, near the divider. Immediately after this collision, Lye struck the second victim, who was hit on the right side and lost control of his bicycle. Lye then drove away from the scene. An ambulance was called, and both victims were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital that morning. Despite resuscitation efforts, the first victim, whose autopsy report indicated he died from “blunt force trauma to the head and chest,” passed away that same day. The second victim suffered rib fractures on his right and was given a medical leave of seven days from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6, 2022.
Went to inspect car
Shortly after the collisions, Lye drove to an Esso petrol kiosk at Holland Road, where he exited his vehicle and inspected it for damages between 6:44am and 6:49am. His actions were captured by a security camera at the petrol kiosk.
Police traced car
The police traced Lye’s vehicle to a car park in Ubi and subsequently arrested him. Although he provided a breath specimen around 3:07pm that day, the alcohol level measured was too low for a forensic calculation to determine the actual amount of alcohol in his system at the time of the incident.
Claimed to not recall
Lye later told police that he “could not recall which location or which road” he was travelling at at about 6:31am on Nov. 30. He admitted that “throughout the time” he was driving, he could “only vividly recall certain events and timings” as he was “heavily intoxicated and was feeling so tired”. He also admitted that he could not recall if he was driving along Adam Road at the time of the accident.
Life lost for meaningless reason: Judge
The prosecutor sought at least 24 months’ imprisonment with at least 11 years’ disqualification from driving. He emphasised Lye’s high level of intoxication and his failure to render assistance. When delivering the sentence, the judge remarked that a life was lost for a senseless reason, according to Shin Min Daily News. He noted that Lye had driven while unfit to do so, causing others to suffer the consequences of his irresponsible behaviour, and stated that even a maximum penalty should not warrant any complaints from Lye.
Related story
This incident is a stark reminder of the dangers of drink driving. In recent years, there have been several high-profile cases involving intoxicated drivers causing fatal accidents. Authorities continue to stress the importance of responsible drinking and the severe consequences of driving under the influence. Future implications include stricter enforcement of drink driving laws and increased public awareness campaigns to prevent such tragedies.
