Prosecution seeks up to 13.5 years' jail for driver in Tampines collision that killed 2

Both the prosecution and defence are seeking a lifetime driving ban for Muhammad Syafie Ismail.

Muhammad Syafie Ismail arrives at the State Courts on Sep 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)

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SINGAPORE: The prosecution on Monday (Sep 7) sought up to 13-and-a-half years' jail for a driver who ran a red light at high speed and caused a fatal chain collision in Tampines that took two lives.

This is the maximum jail term possible for the charges in this case, after factoring in a 10 per cent discount for the guilty plea.

Both the prosecution and defence are also seeking a lifetime driving ban for Muhammad Syafie Ismail, a 45-year-old Singaporean.

Most of the vehicles involved in the multi-vehicle collision at peak hour on Apr 22, 2024, were driven by parents ferrying their children to school.

The fatalities were a 17-year-old student who was being taken to school by her father and a 57-year-old woman who was in the back of a van.

Syafie had begun speeding when he accelerated to at least 122kmh to overtake a man who overtook him in Bedok, side-swiping the other car.

He swerved in and out of lanes along Bedok Reservoir Road, narrowly missed a motorcyclist and accelerated until he got to the cross junction of Bedok Reservoir Road, Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4.

The light had been red for at least 26 seconds when Syafie dashed into the junction at a speed of 129kmh to 134kmh although vehicles were travelling across the road in both directions.

He hit three vehicles, which spun and hit a van and a school bus.

Three victims were grievously injured, with some requiring multiple surgeries, while another five victims were injured including two 11-year-old children who required hospitalisation.

Some of the victims developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the collision, and the mother of the 17-year-old girl developed major depressive disorder, finding life meaningless.

Syafie has previous traffic violations, including careless driving in April 2022.

He pleaded guilty to three charges for dangerous driving causing death, causing grievous hurt and causing hurt. Other charges will be considered in sentencing.

Muhammad Syafie Ismail at the State Courts for his sentencing on Sep 7, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Wallace Woon)

Deputy Public Prosecutor Niranjan Ranjakunalan sought a jail term of 12 years and nine months to 13-and-a-half years, pointing to the loss of two lives, the number of injured and the property damage caused.

He came to this figure after factoring in a 15 to 10 per cent plead-guilty discount to a figure of 15 years, which is the maximum jail term after adding up the three proceeded charges.

He said repairs to the lamp post and green railing cost about S$1,317. The "severe damage" caused to five vehicles has not been quantified as the victims are separately pursuing insurance claims against Syafie, said the prosecutor.

He sought to have three sentences run consecutively and to only accord a 10 to 15 per cent plead-guilty discount instead of 30 per cent, saying the public interest demands a smaller discount.

The prosecutor pointed to the suffering of the victims. The father of the 17-year-old girl wrote that he felt "in shock from the whole event" and blamed himself.

"I kept asking if there is any other way this might not (have) happened. I blame myself every day," he wrote in his victim impact statement.

"The (loss of my) daughter (has) a very big impact on me and my whole family," he wrote.

"Even though the physical damage to myself is a lot, nothing is compared to my emotional pain and my mental pain."

He said his wife suffered more than him and is "emotionless" and like a zombie. He said he could not drive after the incident because of the trauma.

Defence lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya sought between seven-and-a-half and eight years' jail, with a lifetime driving ban. He asked for only two sentences to run consecutively and for the 30 per cent guilty-plea discount to be accorded, saying the sentence sought by the prosecution was crushing.

Mr Kalaithasan said in his mitigation plea that the accident was an "unusual and exceptional one" arising from circumstances and a sequence of events that were both "extraordinary and unforeseen".

Nevertheless, Syafie accepts that it arose from his lapse in judgment and failure to exercise diligence and care, said Mr Kalaithasan.

He said Syafie could not reasonably have foreseen that "his decision to speed and proceed through a red light would result in such a devastating chain reaction of collisions, causing loss of life, suffering and profound grief to the victims and their loved ones".

Damaged vehicles are seen at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4 on Apr 22, 2024, following an accident. (Photo: CNA/Calvin Oh)

Mr Kalaithasan said "this is a scar that will remain with him for the rest of his life".

He said Syafie did his best to assist in investigations, cooperating with the police as he was "ridden with guilt".

He works in the technology manufacturing industry and supports his parents and children on top of paying monthly maintenance to his ex-wife, said Mr Kalaithasan.

He previously served MUIS as a "dedicated Quranic teacher" since being qualified in 2019, but was suspended from teaching in late 2024 due to this court case, said the lawyer.

Syafie wrote a letter to the victims and their family members saying he was deeply sorry for the pain, grief and loss the "tragedy has brought upon" them.

He sought forgiveness and expressed remorse, saying the tragedy had changed his life forever and that he was committed to "carrying the lessons of this tragedy" with him for the rest of his life and to live with greater care, responsibility and respect for the safety of others.

Principal District Judge Toh Han Li said he would need some time and adjourned sentencing to October.

For dangerous driving causing death, Syafie could be jailed for between two and eight years and banned from driving for up to 10 years.

For dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, he could be jailed between one year and five years and banned from driving for up to eight years.

For dangerous driving causing hurt, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

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控辩双方都要求对穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔处以终身禁止驾驶的处罚。

穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔于2026年9月7日抵达国家法院。（图片：CNA/Wallace Woon）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：周一（9月7日），检方要求对一名司机判处最高13年半监禁，该司机高速闯红灯，导致淡滨尼发生连环致命车祸，造成两人死亡。

这是本案指控罪名所能判处的最高刑期，已考虑到认罪可享受 10% 的减刑。

控辩双方都要求对45岁的新加坡人穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔终身禁止驾驶。

2024年4月22日高峰时段发生的多车相撞事故中，大部分涉事车辆都是由家长驾驶，接送孩子上学。

遇难者包括一名 17 岁的学生（当时她正被父亲送去上学）和一名 57 岁的妇女（当时她坐在面包车的后座上）。

在勿洛，Syafie 加速到至少 122 公里/小时去追赶一辆超车的汽车，结果与对方车辆发生剐蹭，当时他已经开始超速行驶。

他沿着勿洛蓄水池路在车道间穿梭，险些撞到一名摩托车手，然后加速行驶，直到到达勿洛蓄水池路、淡滨尼1道和淡滨尼4道的十字路口。

红灯亮了至少 26 秒后，Syafie 以 129 公里/小时至 134 公里/小时的速度冲进路口，尽管当时双向都有车辆在路上行驶。

他撞上了三辆车，导致这些车旋转后又撞上了一辆面包车和一辆校车。

三名受害者伤势严重，其中一些人需要多次手术；另有五名受害者受伤，其中包括两名 11 岁的儿童，他们需要住院治疗。

一些受害者在车祸后患上了创伤后应激障碍，其中一名 17 岁女孩的母亲患上了重度抑郁症，觉得生活毫无意义。

Syafie 曾有交通违章记录，包括 2022 年 4 月的鲁莽驾驶。

他承认三项指控，分别是危险驾驶致人死亡、致人重伤和致人受伤。其他指控将在量刑时考虑。

2026年9月7日，穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔在国家法院接受判决。（图片：CNA/Wallace Woon）

副检察官尼兰詹·兰贾库纳兰要求判处被告 12 年零 9 个月至 13 年半的监禁，理由是造成两人死亡、多人受伤以及财产损失。

他将认罪减刑幅度从 15% 减至 10%，得出 15 年的刑期，这是将三项指控加起来的最高刑期。

他说，路灯杆和绿色护栏的维修费用约为1317新元。检察官表示，五辆汽车遭受的“严重损坏”尚未量化，因为受害者正在分别向沙菲提出保险索赔。

他要求将三项刑期连续执行，并且只给予 10% 到 15% 的认罪折扣，而不是 30%，称公共利益要求较小的折扣。

检察官强调了受害者的痛苦。那位17岁女孩的父亲写道，他对“整个事件感到震惊”，并自责不已。

“我一直在问自己，有没有其他方法可以避免这件事的发生。我每天都在自责，”他在受害者影响陈述中写道。

“女儿的离世对我以及我的整个家庭都产生了非常大的影响，”他写道。

“虽然我身体上的伤势很严重，但这与我的情感痛苦和精神痛苦相比，根本微不足道。”

他说妻子比他更痛苦，变得“麻木不仁”，像个行尸走肉。他还说，事故发生后，由于受到创伤，他无法开车。

辩护律师卡莱塔桑·卡鲁帕亚请求判处被告七年半至八年监禁，并终身禁止驾驶。他要求仅判处两项刑期合并执行，并给予30%的认罪减刑，称检方提出的量刑建议过于严苛。

卡莱塔桑先生在求情陈述中表示，这起事故是一起“不寻常且特殊的事故”，是由一系列“非同寻常且无法预见”的情况和事件造成的。

卡莱塔桑先生说，尽管如此，沙菲承认这是由于他判断失误以及未能尽到勤勉和谨慎义务造成的。

他说，沙菲不可能合理地预见到“他超速行驶并闯红灯的决定会导致如此毁灭性的连锁碰撞，造成人员伤亡，给受害者及其亲人带来痛苦和深深的悲伤”。

2024年4月22日，在淡滨尼1道和淡滨尼4道的交界处，发生交通事故后，可以看到受损车辆。（图片：CNA/Calvin Oh）

卡莱塔桑先生说：“这将是他一生都无法抹去的伤疤。”

他说，沙菲尽力协助调查，与警方合作，因为他“充满愧疚”。

卡莱塔桑先生说，他从事科技制造行业，除了每月向前妻支付赡养费外，还要赡养父母和孩子。

律师表示，他此前自 2019 年获得资格以来，一直在新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会 (MUIS) 担任“敬业的古兰经教师”，但由于这起诉讼案件，于 2024 年底被停职。

沙菲写信给受害者及其家属，表示他对这场“悲剧”给他们带来的痛苦、悲伤和损失深感抱歉。

他寻求原谅并表达了悔意，称这场悲剧永远改变了他的人生，他决心“将这场悲剧的教训铭记于心”，并在余生中更加谨慎、负责、尊重他人的安全。

首席地方法官杜汉利表示他需要一些时间，并将宣判延期至10月。

因危险驾驶致人死亡，Syafie 可能被判处 2 至 8 年监禁，并被禁止驾驶长达 10 年。

因危险驾驶造成严重伤害，他可能被判处一年至五年监禁，并被禁止驾驶长达八年。

他因危险驾驶致人受伤，可能被判处最高两年监禁、最高罚款1万新元，或两者并罚。

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