I’m glad to stick with my public transport every day if it means that I won’t be a victim (or culprit) of road rage.
Because, as you will see, this stuff can really get you into trouble.
And a lot of pain.
57-year-old Jeffrey Todd Martin, a permanent resident from Canada, was fined S$5,600, pleading guilty to riding his black Cervelo road bicycle without due regard to the safety of others, under the Road Traffic (Bicycles) Rules, as well as voluntarily causing hurt to a lorry driver by punching him.
According to TODAYonline, the incident was captured on the lorry’s in-vehicle camera, as well as a video was taken by an eyewitness.
Details of the Incident
On 24 February 2019, at about 10:20am, Martin was cycling along Jalan Eunos when a lorry, driven by Chinese national Mr Zhang Ping, overtook him.
Later, along Jalan Awang, Martin overtook and cut in front of the lorry. He then pointed at Mr Zhang before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the lane, forcing the lorry to stop in the middle of traffic as well.
I guess you could say, he was two-tired of this shit.
Martin got off the bicycle and proceeded to hit the lorry’s windows, shouting vulgarities at Mr Zhang.
Mr Zhang decided to turn his lorry in the direction of the cyclist, forcing him to move away to avoid getting hit by the vehicle.
The lorry driver then alighted from the vehicle, holding an orange flask, and approached Martin. That was when he got punched in the face, causing him to fall.
The victim remained dazed, lying on the ground as Martin picked up his bike and rode off.
Mr Zhang was taken to Changi General Hospital and examined for his injuries, which were found to be minor cuts. He was given two days of medical leave.
In addition, he was sentenced to one week in jail for his rash act which could have endangered others.
Martin also paid S$126 in compensation to Mr Zhang’s employer for covering his medical fees.
High Fine Was Appropriate
As reported by The Straits Times, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Emily Koh said that prosecution would not be pushing for a custodial sentence, as the attack was one of low harm and culpability, though a high fine was appropriate.
In mitigation, Martin’s lawyer said that his client had instinctively punched Mr Zhang “in a split second”. He had told the police that he was unsure of what Mr Zhang would do with the orange flask and “got scared”.
Given the circumstances of his offences, District Judge Brenda Tan imposed the maximum S$5,00 fine for causing voluntary hurt. The additional S$600 was his other charge of riding his bicycle without due regard to others’ safety.
For his first charge, Martin could have been jailed for up to two years. He also could have been fined up to S$1,000, jailed up to three months, or both for his second charge.
Featured Image: Facebook (SG Road Vigilante – SGRV)
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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