Latest news with #KovanTan
Malay Mail
02-07-2025
- Malay Mail
Singapore driver jailed over East Coast Parkway crash that killed teen now probed for allegedly faking NUS enrolment
SINGAPORE, July 2 — Police are investigating a man's claim that he was a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said today. Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat stated during police investigations on March 8 that he was enrolled full-time at NUS, a detail later included in the statement of facts agreed upon by both prosecution and defence when he pleaded guilty on June 27, according to a report published in The Straits Times today. However, NUS clarified there are no records showing Tee was ever affiliated with the university, contradicting earlier court documents and media reports. 'Tee's status as a student was not material to charges that he had faced and was not a factor taken into consideration for sentencing,' an AGC spokesperson said in response to media queries. Tee was sentenced last week over a fatal crash on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) that killed 18-year-old pillion rider Leann Lim Jia Le and injured motorcyclist Kovan Tan, 27. In February, Tee had rented a Mercedes-Benz and was allegedly engaging in reckless driving behaviour with a motorcycle before the collision, reaching speeds of up to 160km/h. He reportedly asked his passengers, 'Do you want to see motorcycle fly?' before swerving to block the motorcycle as it attempted to overtake, causing it to crash and throw its riders several metres away. Lim suffered severe brain injuries and died in hospital, while Tan sustained abrasions and a hand laceration. Tee was arrested at the scene and initially blamed the motorcyclist, claiming he had been tailgated and high-beamed. After his release on bail, Tee was quoted telling a friend, 'Why scared? Who ask her to piss me off? The accident (that) caused her death is what she deserved.' Authorities have confirmed they are now reviewing the veracity of Tee's claim regarding his NUS affiliation.
Malay Mail
30-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Singapore influencer jailed for fatal high-speed game that killed teen girl on motorbike
SINGAPORE, June 30 — A driver here who caused the death of an 18-year-old pillion rider while speeding and swerving recklessly showed no remorse, even claiming the victim 'deserved it'. Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, 30, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison after pleading guilty to dangerous driving that led to the death of Leann Lim Jia Le, The Straits Times reported. Tee, who was a student at the National University of Singapore and also worked as a part-time chef and social media influencer, was also banned from driving for 10 years. Lim had been riding pillion on a motorcycle driven by her boyfriend, Kovan Tan, 27, when Tee swerved his car into them, causing her to be flung onto the road and suffer fatal brain injuries. Tan survived the crash but sustained multiple abrasions and a laceration to his right hand. The incident happened on the night of February 23, 2024, after Tee invited a friend, Vincent Loh, and two 16-year-old girls to go 'grounding', a slang term for aimless driving. Later that night, Lim and her 16-year-old boyfriend joined the group, with Lim riding the motorcycle and her boyfriend joining Tee in his rented Mercedes-Benz. While heading to East Coast Park via the East Coast Parkway, Tee raced Tan's motorcycle, reaching speeds of up to 160kmh and playing dangerous 'blocking and braking' games. At one point, Tee asked his passengers if they wanted to see the motorcycle 'fly', and despite pleas from Lim's boyfriend, Tee swerved his car to block the motorcycle, causing the crash. After the accident, Tee told Loh that the motorcycle had hit him and later showed no regret, saying Lim's death was deserved because she had provoked him.
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
‘See motorcycle fly': Singapore driver jailed after bike rider killed in rash move
Singapore driver has been jailed for more than five years after causing the death of a pillion rider in a high-speed challenge, with local media reporting he had shown no remorse after the incident. Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, 30, was involved in 'blocking and braking games' with a motorcyclist, the court heard, and had asked passengers in his rented Mercedes-Benz, 'Do you want to see a motorcycle fly?' before swerving into the path of his opponent on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) in February last year. The collision flung rider Kovan Tan, 27, and pillion Leann Lim Jia Le, 18, off their bike, killing the latter. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Tee, who was a student at the National University of Singapore at the time and also a part-time chef and social media influencer, reportedly said of Lim: 'She deserved it as she come and push my limit.' On Friday, he was jailed for five years and eight months after pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing the death of Lim, and banned from the roads for a decade. A police officer keeps an eye on downtown traffic in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock Tee's lawyer told the court it was never his client's intention to cause harm, and that he had immediately called an ambulance after the crash.
South China Morning Post
28-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Singapore driver who killed pillion rider just to ‘see motorcycle fly' jailed
Singapore driver has been jailed for more than five years after causing the death of a pillion rider in a high-speed challenge, with local media reporting he had shown no remorse after the incident. Advertisement Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, 30, was involved in 'blocking and braking games' with a motorcyclist, the court heard, and had asked passengers in his rented Mercedes-Benz, 'Do you want to see a motorcycle fly?' before swerving into the path of his opponent on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) in February last year. The collision flung rider Kovan Tan, 27, and pillion Leann Lim Jia Le, 18, off their bike, killing the latter. According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Tee, who was a student at the National University of Singapore at the time and also a part-time chef and social media influencer, reportedly said of Lim: 'She deserved it as she come and push my limit.' On Friday, he was jailed for five years and eight months after pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing the death of Lim, and banned from the roads for a decade. A police officer keeps an eye on downtown traffic in Singapore. Photo: Shutterstock Tee's lawyer told the court it was never his client's intention to cause harm, and that he had immediately called an ambulance after the crash.
CNA
27-06-2025
- CNA
Jail for driver who showed no remorse after causing teen's death during 'blocking and braking game' on ECP
SINGAPORE: "She deserved it as she come and push my limit," said a driver, after he caused the death of a female pillion rider in a racing game on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) that went awry. While driving along the expressway in February 2024, Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat engaged in "blocking and braking games" with a motorcyclist, clocking speeds of up to 160kmh. The 30-year-old deliberately swerved into the path of the motorcycle, forcing the rider to slow down. Tee, then a student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), also asked the passengers in his car, "Do you want to see motorcycle fly?" The resulting collision between Tee's car and the motorcycle caused its rider, 27-year-old Kovan Tan and pillion rider, 18-year-old Leann Lim Jia Le, to be flung off. Ms Lim, a student, subsequently died from her injuries. Tee was jailed for five years and eight months on Friday (Jun 27), after pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving which caused the death of Ms Lim. He was also given a driving ban of 10 years. Another two counts of dangerous driving, one of which took into account the hurt caused to Mr Tan, were taken into consideration for his sentencing. The court heard that Tee was a full-time NUS student at the time, and also a part-time chef and social media influencer. He rented a Mercedes Benz car, which he drove at the time of the offences. ACCUSED RACED AGAINST OTHER VEHICLES On the night of Feb 23, 2024, Tee contacted a man known as Vincent Loh to drive around aimlessly. Mr Loh agreed and picked up two 16-year-old girls in his car later that night. The three met Tee in Sembawang and had supper there. The group then cruised separately in Tee's and Mr Loh's car before agreeing to meet in East Coast Park as the final rendezvous point. Sometime during the night, Mr Loh picked up a 16-year-old male, who was also the boyfriend of Ms Lim. Ms Lim subsequently joined the group. While he was driving to different locations, Tee began to play "blocking and braking games" where he would swerve into the lane occupied by Mr Loh's car and apply his brakes intermittently, forcing the other car to slow down. At one point, Tee ended up with a 16-year-old girl and Ms Lim's boyfriend in his Mercedes Benz, while Mr Tan rode his motorcycle with Ms Lim as pillion. The two vehicles travelled along the ECP in the direction of Changi Airport to reach East Coast Park. While en route to the destination, Mr Tan and Tee started to race one another, with Tee speeding up to 160kmh as part of the "blocking and braking game". Mr Tan rode to a slip road at an exit towards Marine Parade but decided to cut across the chevron marking to re-enter the ECP. He filtered out of the slip road, entering the third lane of the ECP with the intention of overtaking Tee's car, which was also in the third lane. Meanwhile, Tee made a remark to his two passengers if they wanted to "see motorcycle fly", to which Ms Lim's boyfriend pleaded with him not to. When Tee saw the motorcycle overtaking him, however, he immediately swerved his car to block it. His car swiped the motorcycle, causing both Mr Tan and Ms Lim to be thrown about five to eight metres away. Ms Lim was observed to be unresponsive as she lay on the floor. A driver who was behind both vehicles captured the incident on her car's dashboard camera. Her recordings showed that Tee applied his brake with the motorcycle in close proximity four times within seconds. VICTIM FOUGHT FOR HER LIFE Ms Lim was taken to the hospital at about 4.40am on Feb 24, 2024, with paramedics administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but she remained pulseless. Resuscitative efforts were futile, with doctors assessing that there was significant brain injury with a poor prognosis that likely could not be reversed. He condition deteriorated and she died at 2.47pm on Feb 24, 2024. Mr Tan sustained abrasions and a laceration on his right hand. He was then warded for three days and given six days of hospitalisation leave. ACCUSED WAS "IN NO WAY REMORSEFUL" Before the police or an ambulance arrived, Tee called Mr Loh to tell him that the "motorcycle had collided into him". Later, in response to Mr Loh's queries on how the collision happened, Tee claimed that the "motorcycle keep (taunting) him", and kept revving its engine at him. He added that Ms Lim had pointed her middle finger at him, so he "played with the motorcycle". He admitted to Mr Loh that he made the lane change and engaged the neutral gear so that the rider would not be able to see his brake lights. According to court documents, Mr Loh told Tee he was "crazy" as he "played with (someone's) life" and the latter responded "she deserved it as she come and push my limit". As he was having his statement recorded after the incident, Tee lied that the motorcycle had been tailgating and "high-beaming" him. He alleged that he changed lanes to give way, but that the motorcycle changed to the same lane and increased its speed, resulting in a collision. After Tee was released on bail on Feb 24, 2024, he again met Mr Loh, who asked him if he was "afraid" given what had happened. "The accused replied 'why scared', 'Who ask her to pissed (sic) me off' and 'The accident caused her death is what she deserved'," the prosecution said. That evening, Tee met Mr Loh and other friends for drinks at a hotel in Geylang. During this session, he told his friends that Ms Lim's death was what 'she deserved" for taunting him, and repeated that she had made a rude gesture at him. Asking for a jail term of 51 months to 68 months, the prosecution referred to victim impact statements from Ms Lim's father and stepmother. Deputy Public Prosecutor Paul Chia also highlighted Tee's lack of remorse for causing Ms Lim's death. "The accused's behaviour in the immediate aftermath of the incident stands in stark contrast to the efforts made by (a witness), the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) officers and staff at CGH (Changi General Hospital) to save Leann's life and the intense loss experienced by Leann's family," Mr Chia said. "To put it mildly, the accused was in no way remorseful for his actions." Tee's lawyer, Pang Khin Wee of IRB Law, painted his client as a "sorely misguided young man" who did not know to distinguish good influence from the bad. Noting that Tee's parents divorced when he was a baby, Mr Pang said Tee was often alone as his father worked a lot. "Growing up in this manner made Jarrett hard-mouthed when speaking with his friends, but such harsh words seldom represent his true feelings," said Mr Pang. During the incident, Tee was in a competitive mood and wanted to "appear macho" to his passengers, Mr Pang said. "To be clear, Jarrett never really intended for the motorcycle to collide into his car. He merely wanted to increase the perception of danger so he could appear to scare Kovan," Mr Pang said. Tee immediately alighted after the incident to call an ambulance, but being the "hard-mouthed" and "boorish" man that he was, he continued to "talk macho", the lawyer said. "However, Jarrett truly never intended to hurt Kovan and Leann. In truth, Jarrett was just a scared and remorseful man trying to avoid admitting to his friends that he had made a huge mistake. "Jarrett's macho words were simply his way of masking and avoiding seeming 'weak' to his friends, even though he knew he was in trouble," Mr Pang said. Mr Pang asked for a jail term of between 42 and 50 months, after factoring in a sentencing discount for his plea of guilt. His client admits that he should not have played a racing game and regrets the accident, the lawyer added.
