Chinatown accident: Woman charged with causing death of 6-year-old girl

A 38-year-old woman who was involved in a high profile Chinatown accident in February that resulted in a death of a six-year-old tourist from Indonesia and serious injuries to her 31-year-old mother was charged in court on Wednesday (April 8). 

Both victims were holidaying in Singapore.

The accused — who arrived at the State Courts at around 8.25am — was given one charge of driving without due care and attention causing death and another charge of driving without due care and attention resulting in grievous hurt. 

She cannot be named due to a gag order imposed under the Children and Young Persons Act, as her son, a minor, was in the car during the accident and is a potential witness.

The accident occurred at about 11.50am on Feb 6 in an open-air carpark near the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, and the driver was arrested at the scene. She is an Indian national, according to charge sheets.

The victim, Sheyna Lashira Smaradiani, was taken unconscious to hospital, where she died, and her remains were repatriated to Indonesia on the morning of Feb 8 and buried later that day.

The accused was represented in court by Navin Shanmugaraj Thevar and Donoven Foo of RCLT Law Corporation. 

Navin argued in court that the gag order was necessary to protect the driver's son from unwanted public scrutiny and further embarrassment.

"The dangers and risks are particularly acute in the circumstances of the present case because there have been many (online) posts against my client and the boy, which are not only untrue but are of a xenophobic nature," said Navin.

The case will be mentioned again on May 13. 

The penalty for driving without due care and attention causing death under the Road Traffic Act is a fine of up to $10,000 and/or up to three years' jail. 

The punishment for driving without due care and attention resulting in grievous hurt is a fine of up to $5,000 and/or a jail term of up to two years. 

According to the Traffic Police's annual statistics for 2025, the most common causes of accidents were failure to keep a proper lookout at 52 per cent, while failure to maintain adequate control of the vehicle stood at 11 per cent. 

Just last month, a 33-year-old man was arrested for careless driving causing death after a 74-year-old woman died following a traffic accident in Ang Mo Kio on the evening of March 28.

That same month, a 66-year-old pedestrian died after a car hit her before mounting a road verge along Bencoolen Street on March 17.

The 55-year-old male car driver was arrested for careless driving causing death.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com