A law firm partner was fined $5,000 and banned from driving for 5 years for causing an accident

SINGAPORE. A law firm partner traveling in Bukit Timah was driving his car forward in the right turn lane through a red light at an intersection and collided with a motorcyclist with enough force to rip off his front bumper.

On November 8, Brian Ng Feng Kin, 43, was fined $5,000 and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for five years.

Ng, who is a partner at Rajah & Tann, pleaded guilty one count of causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving.

Ng’s in-car dash cam video, played in court, shows him driving in heavy rain along Sixth Avenue in Bukit Timah at 7.19pm on September 24, 2023, when he approached another car that had stopped at the intersection of Sixth Avenue and Jalan Haji Alias.

Both Ng traffic lights to go straight or turn right at the intersection have already turned red.

But Ng honked several times and the car that stopped in front of him drove to the left, according to the video. Ng then drove forward and swerved left before hitting a motorcyclist who was riding with the right of way to Ng’s right.

A 29-year-old motorcyclist can be heard screaming in pain from the impact. He was later taken to hospital with a laceration to his lower leg and a fractured left ankle.

The court heard the motorcyclist was admitted to hospital for four days and given two months’ leave.

Ng was represented in court by Mr Tong Chee Koon, who is also a partner at Rajah & Tann.

In mitigation, Mr Tong said a fine and disqualification would be a fair and just sentence in this case as Ng was not speeding or driving in a reckless manner when the accident happened.

For causing grievous bodily harm to another person while driving a vehicle in dangerous conditions, the perpetrator may be imprisoned for a term of one to five years.

Mr Tong said the victim did not sustain life-threatening injuries and medical reports indicated that the motorcyclist was not expected to be diagnosed with any permanent injuries.

Mr Tong said: “This incident was also traumatic for Ng. Since the accident, he has avoided driving as much as possible. In fact, he decided to give up his driving license for at least 10 years to prosecute himself.”

He added that Ng had told both the traffic police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers that he was willing to compensate the motorcyclist in full.

This will include any current or future treatment related to the driver’s injuries.