A 36-year-old doctor, Oh Shen Leong, attempted to evade a police roadblock after a night of drinking and partying. On February 28, he pleaded guilty to failing to stop at the roadblock and driving without reasonable consideration for others. A third charge, for providing false information, will be considered during sentencing on April 17.
On September 8, 2023, Oh had dinner with two friends, Chew and Low, before heading to Capital Zouk at Clarke Quay. During the night, he consumed a glass of wine, followed by gin and tonic and whiskey with Coke. At around 3 am on September 9, the trio decided to leave. Chew, who had driven her car to Clarke Quay, handed Oh the keys, believing he was in the best condition to drive.
While driving towards Chew’s home, Oh exited the East Coast Parkway (ECP) and spotted a police roadblock at Tanjong Katong Road South. Aware that he had been drinking, he decided to avoid the checkpoint by reversing the vehicle onto the expressway and taking an alternate route. Police officers traced the car’s license plate and arrived at Chew’s residence at around 4 am.
Upon questioning, Oh gave false particulars and claimed to be a private tutor. He also insisted that a valet had driven them home and that none of them had consumed alcohol. When pressed further, he pretended to be dizzy and dehydrated, requesting to be taken to the hospital. However, he refused transport when the ambulance arrived.
His deception unraveled when officers found that the NRIC number he provided was invalid. It was only after all three individuals were handcuffed and detained at around 6 am that Oh admitted to driving the car.
The prosecution is seeking a jail sentence of two to three weeks and the suspension of Oh’s driving license, emphasizing that his actions were deliberate and obstructive. They also highlighted that this was not his first offense, as he had previously been fined for running a red light in February 2023 and for speeding in October 2023.
Oh’s lawyer, Philip Fong, argued that his client was not significantly impaired and that reversing onto the expressway at 3 am posed no real danger since there were no other vehicles or pedestrians. He requested a fine of $8,900 to $9,900 without a driving suspension.
In mitigation, Oh claimed that panic led him to provide false information. His lawyer added that he did not intend to obstruct police investigations and corrected his details when asked a second time. The prosecution, however, rejected this argument, pointing out that Oh repeatedly lied, fabricating a story about a valet and even falsely claiming his profession to be a tutor.
The case has drawn attention to the dangers of drunk driving and the legal consequences of attempting to evade law enforcement.
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