You don’t often see lorries getting into accidents with cyclists.
If you’re subscribed to YouTube channels that regularly upload footage of accidents in Singapore (presumably because you’re a sociopath) you’d know that most of the accidents involve cars and bikes.
That’s why when a video of a lorry swerving and knocking a cyclist off the road was posted in 2018, Singaporeans took notice.
The lorry driver, who shouldn’t be teaching anger management classes anytime soon, was sentenced to seven weeks’ jail, fined S$500, and disqualified from driving for two years.
It’s been two years since the incident took place and the lorry driver has been released, but the drama is far from over.
Lorry Driver Claims He Was Jailed For 3 Extra Days Due To ‘Admin Issue’
The lorry driver, Teo Seng Tiong, was recently released after serving two-thirds of his sentence.
The 59-year-old told Shin Min Daily News that he was scheduled to be released on 22 Aug, but had his sentence extended by three days after he was told he did not pay the S$500 fine.
Except that he did. Or at least that’s what Teo says.
Teo claims he had asked his wife to pay the fine for him on the first day of his stint in jail. She reportedly has a receipt of the transaction, which Teo showed to Shin Min Daily News.
When Teo arrived at the prison to serve his sentence, he received an information card that stipulated the date he started serving.
The section which was supposed to specify the date of his release, however, was left empty.
This was because his date of release could only be fixed after the payment of his fine had been confirmed, an officer told him.
When he called his wife two weeks later, she confirmed the fine had already been paid, so he didn’t think much about it at the time.
But then, on 20 Aug, Teo was informed that his fine hadn’t actually been paid.
“I was about to be released from prison at the time, and it was too late to get my wife to produce the evidence that the payment had already been made,” he said.
Since they could not confirm he had paid his fine, Teo’s sentence was extended by three days.
Teo says this extension affected his mental health, and led to trouble sleeping.
AGC Looking Into Matter
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said they were aware of the issue, after receiving a letter of inquiry from Teo’s lawyer.
A spokesperson from the AGC said they are looking into the issue.
“The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) is aware of a letter from the lawyer of a former inmate, Mr Teo Seng Tiong. AGC is studying the facts and circumstances relating to this matter”.
A Now Famous Altercation
If you’ve somehow forgotten about the famous Lorry vs Cyclist incident, here’s a brief summary of what happened.
On 22 Dec, 2018, Teo was seen on video driving behind two cyclists along a road in Pasir Ris.
It looks like one of the cyclists was blocking Teo’s way, while the other rode at the side of the lane.
After passing a traffic junction, the cyclist, who is still obstructing Teo’s path, looks back at the lorry, presumably because Teo honked at him.
The cyclist then whacks the lorry’s side mirror, causing something to break off and fall.
Teo was not pleased with this, to say the least. So he swerved and knocked the cyclist off the road.
At the time, Teo’s lawyer, Chia Boon Teck, said his client did not physically hit the cyclist’s bicycle.
He explained that the cyclist had simply jumped off his bike and rolled onto the grass patch.
In hindsight, maybe that wasn’t the best defence.
If a cyclist obstructs your path and you feel murderous rage flowing through your veins, try counting to ten, or thinking about your next cup of bubble tea.
Just for that one moment of madness, Teo had his driving license suspended for two years, served seven weeks in jail, and now has a criminal record.
Cursing under your breath would surely be a much better, less costly option.
One thing for sure, though, you have to be really careful on the roads of Singapore even if you’re walking in a relatively “safer” place like a carpark.
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
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