A National University of Singapore student who turned East Coast Parkway into his personal racetrack was sentenced to five years and eight months in jail on Friday (27 Jun 2025).
Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat also received a 10-year driving ban for causing the death of 18-year-old Leann Lim Jia Le during a dangerous racing game.
Here’s what happened.
Fatal Brake-Checking Game Ends in Tragedy on East Coast Parkway
On the night of 23 Feb 2024, Tee contacted a person, Vincent Loh, to drive around aimlessly. Tee had then rented a Mercedes-Benz.
Mr Loh picked up two 16-year-old girls in his car and met Tee in Sembawang for supper.
It’s unknown who the girls are.
The group cruised separately in two vehicles before agreeing to meet at East Coast Park. During the night, Mr Loh picked up a 16-year-old man who was Ms Lim’s boyfriend. Ms Lim subsequently joined the group.
Tee began playing “blocking and braking games” while driving to different locations. He would swerve into Mr Loh’s lane and apply his brakes intermittently, forcing the other car to slow down.
At one point, Tee ended up with a 16-year-old girl and Ms Lim’s boyfriend in his rented car. Kovan Tan, 27, rode his motorcycle with Ms Lim as pillion rider.
The two vehicles travelled along East Coast Parkway towards Changi Airport to reach East Coast Park. Mr Tan and Tee started racing each other, with Tee speeding up to 160kmh.
Mr Tan rode to a slip road at an exit towards Marine Parade but cut across chevron markings to re-enter the expressway. He filtered into the third lane with the intention of overtaking Tee’s car.
Tee asked his passengers if they wanted to “see motorcycle fly”. Ms Lim’s boyfriend pleaded with him not to.
When Tee saw the motorcycle overtaking him, he immediately swerved his car to block it. His car swiped the motorcycle, causing both Mr Tan and Ms Lim to be thrown five to eight metres away.
A dashboard camera from a trailing vehicle captured Tee applying his brakes four times within seconds while the motorcycle was in close proximity.
Ms Lim was taken to hospital at 4:40am on 24 Feb 2024. Paramedics administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation but she remained pulseless. Doctors assessed significant brain injury with poor prognosis that could not be reversed.
Her condition deteriorated and she died at 2:47pm on 24 Feb 2024. Mr Tan sustained abrasions and a laceration on his right hand, requiring three days in hospital and six days of medical leave.
Driver Shows No Remorse, Lies to Police About Fatal Crash
Before police or ambulance arrived, Tee called Mr Loh claiming the “motorcycle had collided into him”. He later told Mr Loh that the motorcycle kept taunting him and revving its engine.
Tee claimed Ms Lim had pointed her middle finger at him, so he “played with the motorcycle”. He admitted making the lane change and engaging neutral gear so the rider could not see his brake lights.
When Mr Loh called him “crazy” for playing with someone’s life, Tee responded: “She deserved it as she come and push my limit.”
Tee lied to police during his statement, claiming the motorcycle had been tailgating and “high-beaming” him. He alleged he changed lanes to give way but the motorcycle changed to the same lane and increased speed, resulting in collision.
After being released on bail on 24 Feb 2024, Tee met Mr Loh again. When asked if he was afraid, Tee replied “why scared”, “Who ask her to pissed me off” and “The accident caused her death is what she deserved”.
That evening, Tee met friends for drinks at a Geylang hotel. He told them Ms Lim’s death was what “she deserved” for taunting him and repeated claims about her rude gesture.
The prosecution highlighted Tee’s complete lack of remorse. Deputy Public Prosecutor Paul Chia said Tee’s behaviour contrasted starkly with efforts by witnesses, Singapore Civil Defence Force officers and Changi General Hospital staff to save Ms Lim’s life.
Parents Call for Justice and Reform of Dangerous Driving Penalties
Ms Lim’s parents told Lianhe Zaobao they remain devastated more than a year after the accident. Tee never contacted the family and showed no regret throughout court proceedings.
Ms Lim’s father revealed Tee operated an illegal ride-sharing service through Telegram groups. Ms Lim’s friends had used his services twice, with the second trip ending in tragedy.
“My daughter didn’t even know the defendant,” the father said. “He claims she provoked him with a middle finger, but he’s not a child. He should have considered the consequences.”
Ms Lim’s mother, who has a medical background, broke down describing seeing her daughter at hospital. “She landed face-first. Half her face was gone. We can’t forget that image.”
The parents hope authorities will review current penalties for dangerous driving and crack down on unregulated ride-sharing services.
Tee’s defence lawyer described his client as a “sorely misguided young man” who could not distinguish good influence from bad. He noted Tee’s parents divorced when he was a baby and his father worked extensively, leaving him often alone.
The lawyer said Tee was in a competitive mood and wanted to “appear macho” to passengers. He claimed Tee never intended for collision to occur but wanted to increase perception of danger.
The prosecution sought 51 to 68 months imprisonment while defence asked for 42 to 50 months. Judge Saeiffin Saruwan imposed five years and eight months jail plus a 10-year driving ban.
Tee was a full-time NUS student at the time and worked part-time as a chef and social media influencer. He pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death, with two additional dangerous driving counts taken into consideration.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
