Jailed for car crash while on meds

25-year-old man, on medication to cope with wisdom tooth pains, took to the road and ended up causing a fatal accident.

Motorist Ong Heng Guan switched lanes at high speed and struck a lorry at the slip road into Bukit Panjang Road off the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) on Dec 23. The impact flipped the lorry over and killed its 59-year-old driver on the spot.

On Wednesday, Ong was jailed for 15 months and banned from driving for eight years for causing the death of Toh Hno Soi by dangerous driving and driving under the influence of drugs.

He was behind the wheel of a white Volkswagen car at about 3am that night when he sped along BKE at about twice the speed limit.

Police officers who attended to the incident noted that Ong had slurred speech. His response was slow and his gait was unsteady due to the influence of drugs.

Ong, who was taken to hospital for pain in his forearm and chest, was found to have taken medications which individually or collectively could cause drowsiness, dizziness, muscle weakness and blurred vision in some people.

He told police officers that he had taken cough mixture, Panadol Active and flu medication the day before, and painkillers for his wisdom tooth. He also admitted to taking an orange oval pill about 30 minutes before the incident to help him calm down, as he was feeling depressed.

In his sentencing submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor Fong Jing Heng highlighted the aggravating factors: the high speed at which Ong was driving while negotiating the bend, and the fact that he was intoxicated with the various medications.

elena@sph.com.sg

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