Man jailed for car crash that caused baby's death

Man jailed for car crash that caused baby's death

A young probationary driver, who had driven his new car for less than a week, got into an accident with another car and caused the death of a baby boy.

Nickson Guay Seng Tiong, 21, was yesterday jailed for four weeks and banned from driving for five years for causing the death of 2½-month-old Maxine Sai Wai Wong, who was being breastfed by his mother in the back of the other car.

Guay failed to keep a proper lookout when making a right turn from North Buona Vista Road into Ayer Rajah Avenue on Oct 20 last year and encroached into the path of motorist Wong Yin Tung, 41, who was travelling straight from the opposite direction.

The baby suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and died seven hours later.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Shen Wanqin said Guay was driving his Mazda car along the extreme right lane of North Buona Vista Road when he failed to stop at the cross junction before he turned right.

DPP Shen said he did not wait for the traffic light to turn red and for the "right-turn arrow" to appear before making the turn. He thus encroached into the path of Mr Wong, who had the right of way.

After the impact, both cars surged forward and ended up at the opposite end of the junction.

The baby's mother, Tetyana Mileshchaenko, 31, flagged down a stranger's car and asked for help to take her and her baby to hospital.

Guay's lawyer Raj Mannar said his client was genuinely remorseful and traumatised. Guay started his own digital marketing agency, Marketlight, which is worth over $500,000, when he was about to finish national service in 2013. He did so well that he put his studies at the Singapore University of Technology and Design on hold, said the lawyer.

District Judge Luke Tan said this was an unfortunate case and a life was lost due to negligence.

Guay could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by negligence.

elena@sph.com.sg

 


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