Fatal 2024 Tampines accident: Driver sentenced to 12 years and 9 months' jail, lifetime driving ban

The driver who sped through a Tampines junction and caused a chain collision killing two people in 2024 was jailed 12 years and nine months on Monday (Oct 5).

Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 45, was also handed a lifetime driving ban.

Two people died and eight suffered injuries as a result of the accident caused by Syafie on April 22, 2024.

In August 2026, he pleaded guilty to three charges of dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, and dangerous driving causing hurt. Two other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The prosecutor had urged the court to impose a sentence of between 12 years and nine months, and 13 years and six months' jail, while the defence asked for a jail term of between seven years and six months, and eight years.

Both agreed on lifetime driving ban.

Principal District Judge Toh Han Li said that the maximum sentence of eight years will be imposed for dangerous driving causing death, with a reduction of 15 per cent for Syafie's guilty plea indication, reported CNA.

Judge Toh also ordered the sentences for the three charges to run consecutively due to public interest and overall criminality.

In the dock, Syafie looked down as the judgment was delivered, reported The Straits Times.

On the morning of the fatal accident, Syafie had dropped off a GrabHitch passenger in Bedok before abruptly overtaking a car along Bedok Reservoir Road and nearly hitting a motorcycle.

At about 7am, he reached the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Avenue 4, driving at a speed of between 129kmh and 134kmh.

Despite the red light, which had signalled red for at least 26 seconds, Syafie did not stop before ramming into three vehicles, causing sequential crashes involving two more vehicles.

A van passenger, 57-year-old Norzihan Juwahib, and a 17-year-old student, who cannot be identified due to a gag order for victims below 18, died.

The student's father, who lost consciousness after his car overturned, later woke up in hospital to learn that his daughter did not survive.

The student's mother, who was not in the car, developed major depressive disorder.

Two 11-year-old boys were also injured in the crash.

One of them suffered from nightmares and disturbed sleep afterwards, and would request toilet breaks in school to cry when he unexpectedly remembered the accident.

Another victim, a 42-year-old woman, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The offence of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt carries a jail term of between one and five years.

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

lim.kewei@asiaone.com

2024 年，一名司机在淡滨尼路口超速行驶，导致连环车祸，造成两人死亡。周一（10 月 5 日），该司机被判入狱 12 年零 9 个月。

45岁的穆罕默德·沙菲·伊斯梅尔也被终身禁止驾驶。

2024年4月22日，Syafie 造成的事故导致两人死亡，八人受伤。

2026年8月，他承认犯有三项罪名：危险驾驶致人死亡、危险驾驶致人重伤和危险驾驶致人受伤。量刑时，另有两项指控被纳入考虑。

检察官敦促法庭判处 12 年零 9 个月至 13 年零 6 个月的监禁，而辩方则要求判处 7 年零 6 个月至 8 年的监禁。

双方同意终身禁止驾驶。

据亚洲新闻台报道，首席地方法官杜汉利表示，危险驾驶致人死亡罪最高可判处八年监禁，但鉴于沙菲认罪，刑期可减免 15%。

法官杜赫还根据公共利益和整体犯罪情况，下令三项指控的刑期合并执行。

据《海峡时报》报道，在被告席上，当判决宣布时，沙菲低下了头。

在致命事故发生的当天早上，Syafie 在勿洛放下了一名 GrabHitch 乘客，然后突然在勿洛蓄水池路超车，差点撞上一辆摩托车。

早上 7 点左右，他到达淡滨尼 1 道和 4 道的交界处，车速在 129 公里/小时到 134 公里/小时之间。

尽管红灯已经亮了至少 26 秒，Syafie 仍然没有停车，撞上了三辆车，导致另外两辆车接连发生碰撞。

面包车上的一名乘客，57岁的诺尔兹汉·朱瓦希布，以及一名17岁的学生（由于18岁以下受害者受到禁言令的限制，无法透露其身份）不幸身亡。

这名学生的父亲在汽车翻车后失去知觉，后来在医院醒来后得知女儿已经去世。

这名学生的母亲当时不在车上，但她患上了重度抑郁症。

两名11岁男孩也在事故中受伤。

其中一人事后饱受噩梦和睡眠障碍的折磨，在学校里，每当他突然想起那场事故时，就会要求上厕所哭泣。

另一名受害者是一名 42 岁的女性，被诊断患有创伤后应激障碍 (PTSD)。

危险驾驶致人重伤罪的刑罚为一至五年有期徒刑。

危险驾驶致人受伤，可处以最高 10,000 美元的罚款，或最高两年的监禁，或两者并罚。

lim.kewei@asiaone.com