Jail for motorist, passenger over lies to cops about who was driving car that hit traffic light pole

Straits Times

16-05-2025

Yuen Zheng Wen was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for a period of two years from his release date. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Jail for motorist, passenger over lies to cops about who was driving car that hit traffic light pole
SINGAPORE – A man who struck a traffic light pole while driving a female colleague home and then accepted her offer to shoulder the blame over the accident, was sentenced to three weeks' jail on May 16.
Yuen Zheng Wen, 36, was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for a period of two years from his release date.
On March 25, the Singaporean pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention, resulting in a collision.
He also admitted to being part of a conspiracy to perform an act that could obstruct the course of justice.
The Malaysian woman, Chin Wei Yeeng, 31, was also sentenced to three weeks' jail on May 16.
Chin, who is a Singapore permanent resident, pleaded guilty on April 17 to performing an act that could obstruct the course of justice.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ryan Lim told the court that the pair, who were friends, had dined with their colleagues at a restaurant in Keng Lee Road, near Newton Road, from 6pm to 10.30pm on Feb 16, 2024.
During the meal, Yuen drank three or four glasses of wine, while Chin drank just one.
Yuen later offered to drive Chin to her home in his car, and she accepted.
At around 10.35pm, Yuen was attempting to make a turn from Moulmein Road onto the Central Expressway when he lost control of his vehicle, which accidentally mounted a kerb and struck a traffic light pole.
Chin, who was seated in the front passenger seat, then suggested that she take the blame for the collision and offered to swop seats with him.
Yuen accepted the offer and two traffic police officers arrived at the scene shortly before 11pm.
One of the policemen approached the pair and questioned them over the circumstances of the collision.
Chin then claimed that she was the one driving the car, and that she had drunk one glass of wine before the accident .
Yuen also presented a similar set of facts to the officers, said the DPP.
The two policemen administered a breathalyser test on Chin, who failed it.
They did not administer one on Yuen, as they had believed Chin's claims that she was the one driving the car at the time.
Yuen was allowed to leave soon after and the officers did not take him in for questioning.
Chin, however, was arrested for drink driving and taken to the Traffic Police Headquarters in Ubi Ave 3 for another test, in which she was found to have 49 micrograms of alcohol in every 100ml of breath.
The prescribed limit is 35 micrograms of alcohol in the same amount of breath.
Shortly after 2am on Feb 17, 2024, the authorities recorded a statement from Chin in which she reiterated that she was the driver of the car when the accident occurred. She was later released on bail.
Feeling remorseful, Yuen decided to turn himself in that day and admitted to what he had done.
Yuen and Chin were each offered bail of $15,000 on May 16.
He is expected to begin serving his sentence on June 2 while she is expected to do so a week later.
Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.
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