A 36-year-old man received a 12-week jail sentence and three-year driving ban after fatally running over his two-year-old daughter while driving without a licence in a Woodlands car park.
The tragic accident occurred on 13 Mar 2023 at Block 326 Woodlands Street 32.
The man was on the run for a previous unlicensed moneylending offence at the time of the accident. He had been sentenced to 12 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane on 7 Dec 2021 but failed to surrender himself in January 2022.
Unlicensed Driver Hits Wife and Daughter in Stroller During Delivery Run
The man’s wife had rented a delivery van from her company to deliver parcels with her husband and their two children. After arriving at the Woodlands Street 32 area around 1pm, the couple began making deliveries together.
Sometime before 2:40pm, the wife planned to walk to Block 326 to drop off parcels while pushing their daughter in a stroller. The man, who had never held a Class 3 driving licence, asked to drive the van to Blocks 327 to 335 to clear the remaining deliveries so the family could have lunch.
His wife knew he lacked a valid driving licence but allowed him to drive. Their son sat in the front passenger seat as the man drove off.
At approximately 2:42pm, the man drove past his wife, who was walking by the roadside pushing their daughter’s stroller. He failed to maintain a safe distance and hit the stroller, causing it to topple.
The van ran over the two-year-old girl and her mother’s right foot. Footage played in court showed the van making a turn in the car park, though the actual collision occurred off-camera.
The mother screamed when she saw her daughter lying motionless on the road. The man immediately braked and reversed the van before jumping out and running towards his wife.
He took the unconscious child from his wife’s arms and attempted to wake her. When this failed, he walked around aimlessly while carrying his daughter, repeatedly mumbling “papa sorry.”
Passersby came to help and called for an ambulance. A member of the public called 999 at 2:42pm, reporting “There is an accident. One van hit a pram. Children injured.”
Two-Year-Old Dies in Hospital Despite Resuscitation Efforts
The girl and her mother were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in separate ambulances. The child was bleeding profusely from her nose and mouth, with a forehead bruise and brain swelling.
Despite resuscitation attempts, she was pronounced dead at 3:31pm on the same day. An autopsy revealed she died from multiple injuries consistent with those sustained in a motor vehicle collision.
The mother sustained a bruise on her right foot from the accident.
The man was arrested at 7pm on 13 Mar 2023 at the car park. He began serving his previously absconded sentence the next day.
Investigations found the van was in serviceable condition with no evidence of mechanical failure that could have caused the accident.
On 16 Jul 2025, the man pleaded guilty to driving without a licence and driving without motor insurance. Two additional charges for driving without due care and attention were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The prosecution noted he had been fined $1,500 in August 2021 for driving without a licence. They requested a sentence of 12 to 20 weeks’ jail and a three-year disqualification from holding a motor licence.
The prosecutor stated the man had driven recklessly close to his wife and daughter, resulting in “grave and tragic” consequences that caused “untold grief to both his wife and himself.”
The man, who represented himself, questioned the investigation timeline as he was charged two years after the accident. District Judge Shawn Ho found no undue delay, noting time was needed to obtain documents and the man had to serve his previous sentence.
In mitigation, the man said he and his wife remained remorseful and were still grieving their daughter’s loss. He described himself as the family’s sole breadwinner as his wife had not been able to work following the incident.
The couple had since had another baby, a six-month-old boy, who was present in court with the wife, elder son and other family members.
“It’s our own daughter, not an outsider or a passer-by… It’s hard for us to move on,” the man told the court.
After sentencing, the man kissed his sons goodbye before being taken away to serve his jail term.
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