Woman charged after fatal Chinatown accident involving 6-year-old Indonesian girl

SINGAPORE: A 38-year-old woman has been charged in court over a fatal traffic accident in Chinatown that claimed the life of a six-year-old girl and left her mother seriously injured.

The woman was handed two charges on Wednesday (April 8): driving without due care and attention, causing death, and driving without due care and attention, causing grievous hurt.

She cannot be named due to a gag order, which her defence counsel requested to safeguard her six-year-old son, who was in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The woman’s lawyer also told the court that numerous posts circulating online about the woman were “not only untrue but of (a) xenophobic nature.”

The accident occurred on Feb 6 at around 11:50 a.m. along South Bridge Road, and the car struck six-year-old Sheyna Lashira Smaradiani and her mother as they were crossing the road. Her father and two-year-old brother were walking ahead and were not injured.

Sheyna had been visiting Singapore with her family from Indonesia. She was on holiday with her parents and her little brother at the time of the incident.

Photos from the accident scene showing Sheyna’s father wailing as he cradled his daughter in his arms broke Singaporeans’ hearts, with many calling for swift action against the driver.

Both Sheyna and her mother, 31-year-old Raisha Anindra Pascasiswi, were conveyed to the hospital, where the girl later died from her injuries. Her mother sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the intensive care unit.

Sheyna’s body was repatriated to Indonesia on the morning of Feb 8, and she was laid to rest later that day in South Jakarta. Her mother has since been discharged from the hospital.

The driver had earlier been arrested for driving without reasonable consideration, causing death.

Under the law, those convicted of driving without due care and attention causing death may face up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. For causing grievous hurt, the offence carries a penalty of up to two years’ jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both. Offenders may also be disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence across all vehicle classes.

A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for May 13.