Driver in Tampines chain collision that killed 2 gets over 12 years' jail, banned from driving for life

Muhammad Syafie Ismail arriving at the State Courts for sentencing on Oct 5, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)

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SINGAPORE: A driver who ran a red light at high speed and caused a deadly chain collision in Tampines that killed two people was sentenced to 12 years and nine months' jail and banned from driving for life on Monday (Oct 5).

This is one of the longest sentences over a fatal traffic incident in recent history, with the next-closest being 11 years for a man who drove drunk into a retiree, severing his body .

Muhammad Syafie Ismail, a 45-year-old Singaporean, had dashed into a junction at between 129kmh to 134kmh even though the light had been red for at least 26 seconds.

The resulting chain collision killed a 17-year-old student and a 57-year-old woman , grievously injured three victims and hurt another five, including children.

The incident left lasting marks on the lives of the victims and their families, with the student's mother developing depression.

Repairs for a damaged lamppost and green railing cost about S$1,317. The "severe damage" to five vehicles has not been quantified as the victims are separately pursuing insurance claims against Syafie, the prosecutor previously said.

Syafie had pleaded guilty to three charges for dangerous driving causing death, causing grievous hurt and causing hurt. Other charges were considered in sentencing.

The prosecution had sought a jail term of 12 years and nine months to 13-and-a-half years , the latter of which 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 prosecutor and the defence sought a lifetime driving ban for Syafie, who had sped along Bedok Reservoir Road after angrily overtaking a car on Apr 22, 2024.

He had been in the area during peak hours to drop off a GrabHitch passenger.

After the dangerous overtaking manoeuvre, he swerved in and out of lanes along Bedok Reservoir Road, narrowly missing a motorcyclist and side-swiping the vehicle he had overtaken.

He came to the cross junction of Bedok Reservoir Road, Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4 at about 7am and barrelled into three vehicles, which then spun and hit another two.

Defence lawyer Kalaithasan Karuppaya sought between seven-and-a-half and eight years' jail. He said the accident was an "unusual and exceptional one" arising from circumstances and a sequence of events that were both "extraordinary and unforeseen".

He said Syafie, who was "ridden with guilt", supports his parents and children on top of paying maintenance to his ex-wife.

He had also served as a "dedicated Quranic teacher" with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) after qualifying in 2019, but was suspended from teaching in late 2024 because of the court case, the lawyer said.

In a letter tendered to court, Syafie said he was deeply sorry for the pain, grief and loss the "tragedy has brought upon" the victims and their families.

He said the tragedy had changed his life forever and that he was committed to "carrying the lessons of this tragedy" for the rest of his life, and to living with greater care, responsibility and respect for the safety of others.

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

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

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

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2026年10月5日，穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔抵达国家法院接受判决。（图片：CNA/Raydza Rahman）

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新加坡：一名司机在淡滨尼高速闯红灯，造成一起致命的连环车祸，导致两人死亡。周一（10月5日），该司机被判处12年零9个月监禁，并终身禁止驾驶。

这是近代史上因致命交通事故判处的最长刑期之一，第二长的刑期是一名男子酒后驾车撞死一名退休老人，导致其身体残缺，被判处 11 年监禁。

45岁的新加坡人穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔（Muhammad Syafie Ismail）在红灯亮起至少26秒后，仍以129公里/小时至134公里/小时的速度冲入十字路口。

由此引发的连环车祸造成一名 17 岁学生和一名 57 岁妇女死亡，三名受害者重伤，另有五人受伤，其中包括儿童。

这起事件给受害者及其家人的生活留下了持久的创伤，其中一名学生的母亲患上了抑郁症。

修复受损的路灯杆和绿色护栏花费了约 1317 新元。检察官此前表示，五辆汽车的“严重损坏”尚未量化，因为受害者正在分别向 Syafie 提出保险索赔。

Syafie承认了三项指控，分别是危险驾驶致人死亡、致人重伤和致人受伤。其他指控在量刑时予以考虑。

检方寻求判处被告 12 年零 9 个月至 13 年半的监禁，其中 13 年半是本案指控的最高刑期，考虑到被告认罪，刑期可减 10%。

控辩双方都要求对 Syafie 处以终身禁止驾驶的处罚。Syafie 于 2024 年 4 月 22 日在勿洛蓄水池路 (Bedok Reservoir Road) 上高速行驶，此前他因愤怒地超车而被捕。

他当时正值高峰时段，在该地区送一名 GrabHitch 乘客下车。

在危险超车之后，他沿着勿洛蓄水池路在车道间左右摇摆，险些撞到一名摩托车手，并剐蹭了他超车的车辆。

早上 7 点左右，他来到勿洛蓄水池路、淡滨尼 1 道和淡滨尼 4 道的十字路口，猛烈撞向三辆车，导致这三辆车旋转后又撞上了另外两辆车。

辩护律师卡莱塔桑·卡鲁帕亚请求判处七年半至八年监禁。他表示，这起事故“不同寻常且性质特殊”，是由一系列“非同寻常且无法预料”的情况和事件造成的。

他说，Syafie“充满愧疚”，除了向前妻支付赡养费外，还要赡养父母和孩子。

律师表示，他于 2019 年取得资格后，曾在新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会 (MUIS) 担任“专职古兰经教师”，但由于这起诉讼案，于 2024 年底被暂停教学资格。

在提交给法庭的一封信中，沙菲表示，他对这场“悲剧”给受害者及其家人带来的痛苦、悲伤和损失深感抱歉。

他说，这场悲剧永远地改变了他的人生，他决心在余生中“铭记这场悲剧的教训”，更加谨慎、负责、尊重他人的安全。

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。

他因危险驾驶造成严重伤害，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或最高罚款10000新元，或两者并罚。

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