Driver in Lucky Plaza car crash jailed 2 years 6 months

Singapore ― The man who ploughed into six women on the sidewalk outside Lucky Plaza on Orchard Road on Dec 29 was sentenced to jail for two years and six months.

Chong Kim Hoe, a Malaysian man who is a Singapore permanent resident, now 66, will also be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for 10 years after he is released from prison.

On Monday (Sept 27), the Deputy Public Prosecutor urged the court to sentence Chong to between two and three years’ jail and disqualify him from driving all classes of vehicles for 10 years. Chong’s defence lawyer pleaded for leniency and said that the former had remained at the scene and cooperated with investigations.

According to court documents, the driver increased the speed of his car as he made a U-turn along Nutmeg Road behind Lucky Plaza. He apparently lost control of his vehicle and drove into the footway where the women sat, collided into a crash barrier and ended up on a service road.

Chong was arrested at the scene, with his driving licence suspended with “immediate effect”.

The six victims were Ms Laila Flores Laudencia, 44; sisters Arceli Picar Nucos, 56, and Arlyn Picar Nucos, 50; Ms Abigail Danao Leste, 41; Ms Egnal Layugan Limbauan, 44; and Ms Demet Limbauan Limbauan, 37.

Ms Arlyn Nucos and Ms Leste died at Tan Tock Seng Hospital from the injuries sustained in the accident. Ms Arceli Nucos, Ms Egnal and Ms Laudencia sustained severe injuries, while Ms Limbauan had fewer injuries.

In Dec 2019, graphic videos of the incident made their way online and were circulated on Whatsapp messenger.

They showed a black car that appeared to have crashed through a railing by the road, landing on the service road leading to the mall car park.

They showed one woman trapped under the car and two others lying bleeding and unconscious nearby. Later, some people lift the car and drag out the woman under it.

All the victims were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

Following the crash, more than $360,000 was raised for the victims in an online fund-raiser that closed on Jan 6 last year. /TISG