Manager banned, fined
The Straits Times
15 May 2010
A MOTORIST whose negligence caused the death of a motorcyclist on an expressway last year was fined $5,000 and banned from driving for three years yesterday.
A coroner had found that the negligence of German commercial manager Frank Hoewelkroeger, 35, resulted in the death of Mr Sia Chong Shyang along the Seletar Expressway on Jan 5 last year. Hoewelkroeger was named a potential defendant at the coroner's inquiry.
Mr Sia, 27, a Malaysian construction worker, died from multiple injuries.
Hoewelkroeger, a Singapore permanent resident, admitted failing to keep a proper lookout when he suddenly swerved from the right lane into the centre lane, hitting Mr Sia's motorcycle and causing him to be flung from the machine onto the road and into the path of a trailer which ran over him.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Adrian Loo told the court that Hoewelkroeger was in the car with his wife when he suddenly swerved the vehicle after seeing that traffic in front of him had come to a standstill. By failing to keep a proper lookout, his car hit Mr Sia's motorcycle, said the DPP.
Mr Christopher Bridges said in his written mitigation plea that his client, who has 15 years' driving experience, had heard screeching sounds of tyres followed by a series of collision noises on the day of the incident. He noticed the car in front of him had braked abruptly, and he applied his brake partially.
When he saw through his rear view mirror that a vehicle was travelling very closely behind him, he quickly filtered to the centre lane to avoid a probable rear collision.
He said his client has been working in a Singapore registered firm for the past five years and earns $14,015 a month.
Hoewelkroeger could have been jailed for up to two years and/or fined for causing death by doing a negligent act.
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The question is does it matter how long he has been working in a Singapore registered firm and how much he earns?
