On the night of 8 March 2023, a 63-year-old Singaporean woman was on her daily night walk with her 67-year-old husband along Martaban Road. As she crossed the road, a bicycle ridden by Li Lanying, a 52-year-old Chinese national, collided with her. The woman fell backwards, hitting her head on the ground, and succumbed to her injuries on the morning of 20 March 2023. Li was riding a bicycle with faulty brakes, which she knew about but had not repaired.
Background
Li Lanying, who worked as a housekeeper at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), was charged with causing death by a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide. On the day of the accident, she was riding home after her shift, taking Martaban Road towards Balestier Road. The victim and her husband were on their usual night walk when the collision occurred. Despite attempts to avoid each other, Li’s faulty brakes failed, leading to the tragic accident.
Victim passed away due to head injury
The police were alerted to the accident at around 9:07 pm on 8 March 2023. The victim was taken to TTSH by ambulance, unconscious. After 12 days of treatment, she was pronounced dead at 5:36 am on 20 March 2023. Her cause of death was certified as a traumatic brain injury resulting from the fall.
Li knew her brakes were faulty for months
A senior technical investigator at LKK Auto Consultants Pte Ltd conducted a mechanical inspection on Li’s bicycle on 6 September 2023 and found that its rear brakes were faulty and the braking system was not in serviceable condition. Court documents revealed that Li had known about the faulty brakes for two to three months before the accident but did not repair them, believing there were usually no pedestrians on her route.
Jailed four weeks
On 20 September, Li pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four weeks in jail. Anyone convicted of causing death by a negligent act could face up to two years in jail, a fine, or both.
Legal implications and public safety
This incident highlights the importance of maintaining vehicle safety standards, even for bicycles. The tragic death of the pedestrian underscores the severe consequences of negligence. Authorities may need to consider stricter regulations and enforcement to prevent similar incidents in the future.
