42-year-old man arrested after Tuas Checkpoint accident that left Certis officer severely injured
A 42-year-old Singaporean man has been arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt as well as drink driving, after he caused an accident at Tuas Checkpoint that left an auxiliary police officer seriously injured on Friday morning.
In a joint statement on Friday afternoon, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the police said the driver was allegedly intoxicated and had been speeding prior to the accident.
He had seemingly lost control of his car and crashed into the observation post, after which the car flipped and hit the 28-year-old auxiliary police officer on duty.
The ICA’s First Response Team was immediately dispatched to render assistance and cordon off the area, while the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Traffic Police were subsequently activated.
The auxiliary police officer, who is employed by security services firm Certis, suffered a severe head injury, while the driver of the overturned car suffered lacerations.
Both men were taken to the National University Hospital, with ICA and Certis being in contact with the officer’s family to provide support.
A Certis spokesman said the officer was being closely monitored in the intensive care unit after undergoing emergency surgery, and that the company’s representatives have been with his family members in the hospital.
Stressing the need for motorists to abide by traffic rules to ensure both their own safety and that of officers on duty, the statement said: “We will not hesitate to take strict enforcement action against blatant breach of such rules.”
While investigations are ongoing, the driver’s vehicle has been seized and his driving licence suspended with immediate effect, the statement added.
For driving dangerously and causing grievous hurt, offenders can be jailed up to five years. Repeat offenders can be jailed up to 10 years.
They are also liable to be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
For drink driving, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000.
A repeat offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $20,000.
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