'It's my mistake': Man who fatally drove van over 2-year-old daughter gets 12 weeks' jail for driving without licence

CNA

4 days ago

SINGAPORE: A man who drove a van without a licence and killed his infant daughter when the vehicle ran over her was sentenced to 12 weeks' jail and banned from driving for three years on Wednesday (Jul 16).
Muhammad Asri Taufik Bin Mohamed Ali was delivering parcels with his wife when he drove the van past her, toppling the stroller she was pushing with their two-year-old daughter inside and running over the toddler.
The woman held the child by the roadside and cried hysterically but the girl could not be revived.
She had allowed her husband to drive her company's van despite knowing that he had no driver's licence.
He had also been convicted before of driving without a licence.
Muhammad Asri Taufik pleaded guilty to a charge each of driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
Two more charges related to causing his daughter's death by his driving and injuring his wife's foot by running over it were taken into consideration.
The court heard that Muhammad Asri Taufik was sentenced in December 2021 to 12 months' jail and caning for unlicensed moneylending.
However, he did not surrender himself to serve his sentence after furnishing a medical certificate. A warrant of arrest was issued against him.
WHAT HAPPENED
On Mar 13, 2023, he and his wife Fairuzana Mohd Yusoff were delivering parcels in the Woodlands area.
Fairuzana rented the van from her company to deliver the parcels and the couple had their son, now seven years old, and daughter with them.
After delivering some parcels, the couple wanted to head elsewhere to do more deliveries.
Muhammad Asri Taufik asked to drive the van to a nearby housing block to clear their deliveries quickly, so that they could have lunch.
His wife knew that he did not have a driving licence but let him take the van.
She went on foot, pushing their two-year-old daughter in a stroller along the open-air car park.
Footage from a nearby car that was played in court showed Muhammad Asri Taufik driving the van and making contact with his wife and daughter.
He had driven too closely to the side of the road and hit the stroller before running over his daughter when she fell out. He also rolled over his wife's right foot.
When his wife saw her daughter lying on the road, she screamed.
Muhammad Asri Taufik braked and reversed before alighting to check on them.
His wife held the child and cried, while Muhammad Asri Taufik tried to wake the girl and walked around aimlessly, the court heard.
Passers-by came to help and one of them called the police.
The court heard that Muhammad Asri Taufik did not have a Class 3 driving licence and had never held one.
He was convicted in August 2021 of an offence of driving without a licence, which makes him a repeat offender, and was fined.
The girl and her mother were taken to hospital, but the child could not be revived. She was found to have died of multiple injuries consistent with a motor vehicle collision.
Her mother suffered bruising to her right foot.
Muhammad Asri Taufik was arrested and began his sentence for his previous case.
The van was inspected and found to be in serviceable condition, with no mechanical failure contributing to the incident.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jun Chong asked for a total sentence of 12 to 20 weeks' jail and three years' disqualification from obtaining any driving licence.
He noted that this was Muhammad Asri Taufik's second offence of driving without a licence and it was "quite reckless" for him to be driving the van so close to the side of the road.
The consequences were "grave as well as tragic", with the ultimate harm occurring in the death of the girl, Mr Ng said.
He highlighted that this offence was committed while Muhammad Asri Taufik was on the run for a separate offence.
"STILL GRIEVING"
Muhammad Asri Taufik was not represented by a lawyer. He asked the court to consider that this case was two years ago, but "this case keep on passing and passing and passing and passing while I was serving sentence" for the other offence.
"One more thing, I and my wife still grieving, and we have (received) our punishment in this world," he continued.
"Why 'shoot' me now? Why didn't, two years ago, when I'm inside the prison to serve my last sentence?" he said of the penalties for this case.
He also said he had been waiting for the investigation officer to meet him in jail and ask for his statement but there was "nothing until I was released".
"I and my wife still grieving, still grieving for the loss of our daughter," he added. "We know. I admit. It's my mistake."
He said that he was the sole breadwinner for his family and his wife was not in the right state of mind because she was still traumatised by the incident.
He told the court that he has his son and a six-month-old baby to take care of and asked for a lighter sentence.
"Me and my wife (are) totally remorseful and, to be honest, we are still in grieving situation."
For driving without a licence as a repeat offender, he could have been jailed for up to six years or fined up to S$20,000, or both.