Lorry slams into car at Geylang junction, driver arrested for suspected drink driving

Singapore — A collision between a lorry and car along a Geylang road junction resulted in six injuries, of which two were hospitalised.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that the car driver was trapped and had to be rescued using hydraulic rescue equipment by officers.

According to Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News, the incident happened at around 8 pm on Friday (Jan 13) at the junction of Guillemard Road and Cassia Link.

Photos of the accident showed the front bumper of the lorry smashed, while the affected car was in even worse condition, its hood and driver door dislodged from the impact.

Debris from the collision was scattered nearby.

Meanwhile, a passerby who witnessed the accident scene told Lianhe Zaobao that she saw several migrant workers by the side of the road, believed to be passengers of the lorry.

A 35-year-old and a 34-year-old lorry passenger were conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, while another four were assessed for minor injuries, although they refused to be taken to the hospital.

The 40-year-old lorry driver was arrested for suspected drink driving.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Under section 67 of the Road Traffic Act, the legal alcohol limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath or 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

If convicted of drink-driving, offenders are liable to a fine of up to S$10,000 or up to one year’s jail, or both.

Repeat offenders can be sentenced to up to two years’ jail and fined up to S$20,000.

Offenders will also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence for at least two and five years for first-time and repeat offenders, respectively.

“The period of disqualification may also be even longer if the offender has also been convicted of dangerous driving or careless driving,” notes Singapore Legal Advice on its website.

In response to the incident, members from the online community expressed that any accidents caused by drink drivers “should have been banned from driving for at least 10 years to deter others or repeat offenders.”

“Are our drink and drive penalties not severe enough? Why are there so many more such killer garbage on the roads?” asked another concerned citizen. /TISG

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