Drunk Driver Sentenced to 3.5 Years Jail after Accident, Leaving Police Officer in Vegetative State

By
Noreen Shazreen
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A 30-year-old auxiliary police officer from Certis has been left in a vegetative state after a drunk driver crashed into him at Tuas Checkpoint on 24 March 2023.

According to The Straits Times, the officer, Mr Ng Yi Shu, was about to collect the keys to his Build-To-Order (BTO) flat and had plans to get married when the incident occurred.

Yoong Kok Kai, 44, was sentenced on 17 March 2025 to three years and six months’ jail for causing grievous hurt by dangerous driving and driving under the influence. He will also be disqualified from driving for 10 years after his release.

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Seven Hours of Drinking Led to Devastating Crash at Tuas Checkpoint

Yoong had been drinking for more than seven hours before the accident, making stops at three different locations. His drinking began around 5 pm on 23 March 2023 at a restaurant in Fraser Street, near Beach Road, where he consumed 1½ pints of beer.

He then drove to another restaurant in South Bridge Road and drank a third of a 500ml bottle of whiskey. Around 10 pm, Yoong walked to a nearby KTV lounge and shared a 3-litre tower of beer with a waitress.

After his drinking session, Yoong decided to drive home to Yishun but for unknown reasons ended up approaching Tuas Checkpoint instead. He was caught speeding along the AYE around 12:30 am, travelling at approximately 134kmh.

Later, Yoong was spotted speeding along the Tuas Checkpoint car departure lane viaduct at up to 119kmh – more than double the 50kmh limit. Mr Ng, who was on duty at the checkpoint, saw the speeding car and ran behind a safety bollard and gantry to escape.

Yoong lost control of his car when approaching a bend. His vehicle hit a divider before mounting a kerb and striking Mr Ng. The impact was so great that it uprooted the safety bollard, gantry, barrier, and a traffic light, causing more than $37,000 in damages.

Following his arrest, Yoong was found to have 153mg of alcohol in every 100ml of blood, nearly double the legal limit of 80mg. In total, he drove for about 27km while intoxicated.

Life-Altering Injuries Leave Officer Bedbound as Family Copes with Aftermath

Mr Ng suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and extensive facial fractures. He was thrown into the air upon impact and landed on his face.

According to Mr Ng’s brother, Alex Ng, 32, the officer is now bedbound and unable to speak or walk. He must be fed via a tube through his nose and does not respond to his name.

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Over the next three months, Mr Ng underwent at least 12 operations. He needed a ventilator to breathe, and while he is currently in a stable condition, doctors have told the family he will likely remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.

Mr Alex Ng said that the state his brother is in is “no different from death”.

He added that the driver never reached out to their family to apologise for the incident.

The accident derailed Mr Ng’s plans to collect the keys to his BTO flat in Boon Lay and marry his girlfriend of more than five years. Mr Alex Ng had the difficult task of breaking the news to his brother’s girlfriend, who continued to visit Mr Ng for a year after the accident.

The hospital bills have exceeded $455,000, including more than $10,500 which had to be paid out of pocket. Mr Ng now permanently resides at NTUC Health Nursing Home (Jurong Spring) but was recently hospitalised at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital due to an unstable heart rate.

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The brothers’ 64-year-old father quit his job as a freelance driver to become Mr Ng’s main caregiver. He visits his son daily from 7 am to 8 pm, stretching and massaging Mr Ng’s legs, cleaning and shaving his face, and talking to him.

A Certis spokesperson said the company has provided various forms of support to Mr Ng and his family since the incident. This includes keeping Mr Ng on the payroll and covering the majority of his medical bills. Court documents show Certis has paid over $400,000 for Mr Ng’s medical and nursing home bills.

During sentencing, District Judge Kok Shu-En described the incident as “a needlessly senseless and tragic accident” that caused grave harm to a young man.

“This young man is still alive today, but his quality of life has been irreversibly damaged,” said the judge, adding that Mr Ng’s family will have to live with the consequences of Yoong’s actions for the rest of their lives.

Yoong, who has made no restitution for the damages, was sentenced on 17 March.

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Noreen Shazreen
Email: [email protected]