Man Drove Cement Mixer Truck While Drunk; Caused Serious Chain Accident When He Dozed Off

Last Updated on 2023-04-12 , 10:20 am

There’s a reason why it’s illegal to drink and drive.

Driving a car while drunk is already a dangerous stunt.

Imagine how dangerous it is to drive a heavy vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

Cement Mixer Truck Driver Dozed Off While Driving

45-year-old Indian national Sowrirajulu Karunakaran caused a serious chain accident while driving a cement mixer truck.

He had dozed off because he was drunk. 

The accident occurred in May 2022.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicolle Ng said that Sowrirajulu was working for Infinite Logistics and Trading when he got involved in the accident.

On 18 May 2022, he started drinking alcohol at 3 pm.

He was driving a cement mixer truck along Yishun Avenue 8 at around 7.20 pm when he dozed off due to the alcohol.

The DPP noted that the weather was clear and the road was dry. 

Furthermore, there were a moderate number of vehicles on the road.

When Sowrirajulu woke up, he realised the traffic light ahead was red and jammed the brakes.

However, he could not stop in time, causing the cement mixer to collide with the rear of a lorry.

What resulted was a chain collision involving four vehicles.

Damages and Injuries

The cement mixer was dented and damaged at the front.

Meanwhile, the lorry had a shattered windscreen, scratches, and severe dents.

The damages were so bad that the lorry was discarded by the company that owned it. 

Sowirajulu failed the breathalyser test and was arrested.

He was taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, where it was discovered that his blood ethanol concentration was three times the legal limit in Singapore.

If you weren’t aware, the legal limit of alcohol in one’s body is 35 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of breath.

The two passengers in the lorry were taken to the same hospital.

Both passengers were Indian nationals.

One of them, a 38-year-old man, suffered from pelvic fractures and middle and lower back pain.

The other, a 41-year-old man, sustained a forehead laceration and neck strain.

The 38-year-old man was hospitalised for three days, while the 41-year-old man was discharged on the same day with ten days of hospitalisation leave.

Another 44-year-old Singaporean woman was involved in the accident as well.

Her van was hit by the lorry, suffering dents that cost a whopping $31,290.03 to repair. 

She had a minor head injury and was also taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.

The other vehicle involved, a Toyota, sustained damages to its rear. 

The damages cost $17,762 to repair.

Jail Sentence

On 6 April 2023, Sowrirajulu was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment.

He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and causing grievous hurt while driving without due care. 

He will be disqualified from driving for 14 years when he is released from prison.

Fortunately, the accident wasn’t fatal.

Another Incident of Drink Driving

On 24 March 2023, a 42-year-old Singaporean man was allegedly drunk when he hit and seriously injured a Certis auxiliary police officer (APO) at Tuas Checkpoint.

According to a statement by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the police, the driver was driving at high speed along the viaduct leading to the checkpoint.

They added, “He purportedly lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the observation point, causing it to flip over and hit the 28-year-old auxiliary police officer on duty.”

The driver was arrested for drink-driving and dangerous driving causing grievous hurt.

The car was seized and his driving licence was suspended.

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Consequences of Drink Driving

There is a reason why there are so many billboards in Singapore reminding drivers not to drink and drive.

Driving under the influence of alcohol increases the likelihood of accidents due to poor judgement.

Furthermore, it can endanger the lives of other drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

According to the Singapore Police Force, the number of fatal drink-driving accidents increased by 25% from 2021 to 2022.

While there were eight fatal cases in 2021, there were ten in 2022.

In addition, the number of people arrested for drink-driving increased as well.

In 2022, 1,685 people were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

It is illegal to drive under the influence of alcohol.

The offence of drink-driving carries a fine of up to $10,000, a jail sentence of up to 12 months, or both.