What happened? 

Andre Low Jun Cheng was sentenced to 18 months’ jail and a driving ban of 10 years after crashing into a PAB (power assisted bicycle) rider with two children while speeding after drinking alcohol.

He was heading home on Tampines road after drinking one-and-a-half glasses of cognac that night. 

The accident happened at the T-junction of Hougang Avenue 1, where the victim stopped his PAB on the second lane.

At around 9.55p.m, Low continued accelerating while going straight, failing to notice the rider until too late, and crashed into the back of the bike. 

The victim was flung upwards and rolled on top of Low's car before falling to the ground.

The collision wrecked the e-bike and ripped off portions of the Mini Cooper's front bonnet and bumper.

Two cars that Low overtook while driving noted he was going fast. It was noted by the court he was driving from 70km/h to 93km/h, despite the speed limit of the area being 60km/h.

Low called for an ambulance and the victim was taken to a hospital, but ultimately died from head and chest injuries.

Mr Low was then arrested and escorted to traffic police headquarters after failing a breathalyser test. Police found that he had 45 microgrammes of alcohol per 100ml of his breath, higher than the legal limit of 30 microgrammes. He is considered a serious offender based on this number.

The prosecution asked for 15 to 18 months of jail and a driving ban of 10 years. This is considered the mandatory minimum. His lawyers asked for a jail term of not more than 12 months instead, saying it was his client’s “first brush with the law”.

Online chatter

Many felt that the drunk driver was not punished harshly enough.

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