Lorry driver fined RM6,000 for reckless driving, causing property damage
The accused, Chew Ah Sing, 69, entered the plea before Magistrate Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid after the charge was read out in Mandarin by the court interpreter.
According to the charge sheet, Chew had driven the sand lorry on a public road without due care and attention, with the rear bucket left raised, causing it to strike overhead electrical cables.
The incident resulted in damage to the cables, three electricity poles, a traffic light pole, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, and a bus stop.
The offence was committed at Kilometre 30.7 of Jalan Johor Baru–Gelang Patah Pendas at around 3.20pm on June 10.
The charge was framed under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2020), which carries a penalty of up to 12 months' imprisonment and a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM10,000.
For a second or subsequent offence, the punishment may include up to 12 months' imprisonment and a fine of not less than RM10,000 and not more than RM15,000. In such cases, the offender's driving licence will be endorsed by the court, and a probationary licence may be revoked upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Amirah Tasnim Saleh prosecuted the case.
In mitigation, the senior citizen, represented by lawyer Sharmaine Fairuz Mohd Zulkifli from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK), pleaded for a minimum sentence, citing his monthly income of RM2,000 and financial responsibility for his wife, mother, and school-going child.
However, Amirah Tasnim urged the court to impose a fitting sentence, as the accused's actions had caused damage to multiple public properties.
The court imposed a RM6,000 fine, in default four months' imprisonment, and endorsed Chew's driving licence.
On the day of the incident, media reports stated that a sand lorry with its rear bucket still raised struck overhead power lines, causing three electric poles to fall near a school.
A video of the incident, recorded around 3.20pm and widely shared on social media, showed the lorry hitting the cables before the poles came crashing down.
Iskandar Puteri district police chief Assistant Commissioner M. Kumarasan was quoted as saying that the driver claimed he was unaware that the rear bucket had not been lowered.
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