Driver Admits to Causing Fatal Crash in Tampines

A driver in Singapore pleaded guilty to causing a fatal crash in Tampines, admitting to running a red light at 129km/h and hitting three cars, killing two people.

Most of the vehicles involved in the crash were driven by parents taking their children to school.

The driver, Muhammad Syafie Ismail, had dropped off a passenger and became angry when another driver overtook him, so he sped up to overtake the vehicle.

Syafie swerved in and out of lanes, narrowly missing a motorcyclist, and side-swiped the vehicle he overtook.

At 7am, Syafie approached a cross junction where the light had been red for 26 seconds.

He drove into the junction at 129-134km/h, even though other vehicles had the right of way.

Syafie collided with three vehicles, which then spun and hit a van and a school bus.

The first vehicle was driven by a 48-year-old man who had just dropped off his wife and daughter and was taking his 17-year-old daughter to school.

The vehicle spun, flipped, and overturned after the collision, and the driver lost consciousness.

When the driver woke up in hospital, he asked about his daughter and was devastated to learn she had died.

The driver broke down when he saw his daughter's body and was taken to a bed to hold her hands.

The second vehicle Syafie collided with also spun out of control.

The driver, a 42-year-old woman, had dropped off her daughter and was taking her 11-year-old son to school.

After the crash, the woman checked on her son, who had unbuckled his seatbelt and run away.

The woman and her son returned to the scene and saw that the 17-year-old girl from the first vehicle was trapped under their car.

The third vehicle Syafie hit mounted a kerb and crashed into a lamppost.

The driver, a 43-year-old man, was taking his daughters to school and immediately checked on them after the impact.

The man asked his daughters to walk to school, which was nearby, and was taken to hospital with a sprained neck.

A school bus was involved in the second collision, which was caused by the first vehicle spinning out of control.

The bus driver, a 60-year-old woman, was ferrying an 11-year-old student and immediately attended to the boy after the collision.

The bus driver was taken to hospital by her children and was diagnosed with anxiety.

A van was also involved in the collision, driven by a 64-year-old man who was ferrying his colleagues.

The van spun out of control after being hit by the first vehicle.

The driver regained his composure and applied the handbrake, stopping the van.

A 57-year-old woman in the back of the van died from multiple injuries.

The van driver suffered injuries, including a fracture, and had his arm placed in a sling.

Syafie's car came to a stop only when it hit green railings along Tampines Avenue 4.

Syafie remained in his seat until a member of the public helped him out.

His vehicle was destroyed in the high-speed crash, and two portions of the railing and a lamppost were damaged.

The chain collision caused traffic congestion, with one person calling the police to report being stuck in traffic for 45 minutes.

The police stopped all traffic at the junction for forensic examination and to clear debris.

The accident prompted 17 people to lodge police reports, describing the scene as chaotic.

Syafie, a 45-year-old Singaporean man, pleaded guilty to three charges, including dangerous driving causing death.

The court heard that several victims were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the collision.

The mother of the 17-year-old girl who died developed major depressive disorder.

She experienced extreme sadness and felt life was meaningless, blaming her husband for being alive.

However, she later rationalized that it was not his fault and blamed the school for arranging the event that day.

She also blamed herself for having an instinct that something bad would happen.

She missed her daughter greatly and avoided the junction where the accident occurred.

She stopped working and struggled to attend to her other children's needs.

Another victim, an 11-year-old boy, suffered recurring nightmares after the accident.

Loud noises reminded him of the accident, and he felt scared and worried.

He became more worried about his mother and would request toilet breaks in school to cry.

His mother was diagnosed with PTSD and had to take on a less demanding role.

Her role changed from financial analysis to regulatory reporting, which may affect her future career progression.

After the accident, the woman broke down crying daily and struggled to return to work.

Her sleep was disturbed by episodes of anguish, panic, and crying.

Sentencing was adjourned to September to allow the defence lawyer to prepare his mitigation and sentencing submissions.

The prosecution has yet to submit its sentencing submissions in open court.

The court heard that Syafie had previously violated traffic laws.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Niranjan Ranjakunalan said Syafie has a 'chequered driving history'.

Syafie was fined S$200 and given six demerit points for careless driving in April 2022.

The judge asked about Syafie's other traffic violations, but was told that only compounded offences post-2019 are considered for sentencing.

Syafie could be jailed for between two and eight years and banned from driving for up to 10 years for dangerous driving causing death.

For dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, Syafie could be jailed for between one and five years and banned from driving for up to eight years.

For dangerous driving causing hurt, Syafie could be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

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