After such a traumatic episode such causing a death in a traffic accident, you’d think Jason Chia Junjie has learned his lesson.
Alas, he has not.
In the early morning of Oct 13, 2014, 34-year-old Chia took his brother’s rented car without permission so he could meet his friend.
While on the lookout for food in Geylang at 4.15am, he failed to keep his eye on the cross junction of Geylang Road and Lorong 22 and hit a 34-year-old Chinese national who was crossing the road.
Li Yong was flung to the extreme left lane and died from a head injury that very evening.
Witnesses testified that Chia had been driving pretty fast. Worst of all, he fled from the scene. But he returned the car at his brother’s place in Lorong 8 Geylang.
He surrounded nearly 24 hours after the incident, only after his family members told him to surrender.
In court, Chia was said to be deeply remorseful and sincerely apologised for his wrongdoings — his actions were not at all premeditated.
He has been sentenced to 10 months in jail and a 10-year driving prohibition after he pleaded guilty to five of seven charges, The Straits Times reports.
For negligently causing death, Chia could have been jailed for up to two years, and fined a maximum of $1000 or jailed for up to three months for driving without a licence.
In 2008, Chia had been fined and banned from driving for five years.
