On October 22, 2024, at approximately 6:20am, a serious accident occurred along a shared bicycle path at East Coast Park in Singapore. Edmund Kwek Jun Wei, a 34-year-old male cyclist, collided with a 48-year-old female runner while travelling at a relatively high speed. Although Kwek was within the speed limit of 25km/h, he was clocked cycling at 22km/h at the time of the incident. On June 20, 2025, Kwek was sentenced to one week’s jail after pleading guilty to a charge of causing grievous hurt by performing a negligent act under the Penal Code.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Heng stated that the incident took place on a straight and well-lit portion of the path. Kwek had been looking down while cycling and only looked up moments before impact, at which point it was too late to avoid the runner ahead of him. The front of his bicycle struck the woman, causing both of them to fall. Kwek was flung off his bicycle, while the woman fell to the ground with severe injuries.
The cyclist immediately called emergency services at 995 after the runner failed to respond to his questions. She was rushed to Changi General Hospital (CGH), where medical personnel diagnosed her with a fractured skull and subdural haematoma — a condition involving internal bleeding near the brain. She was admitted to the hospital’s neurosurgery high dependency ward for further treatment.
Following her hospitalisation, the woman was discharged on November 6, 2024, and was placed on 90 days of hospitalisation leave. Her recovery process revealed significant neurological and sensory impairments. A medical report dated February 21, 2025, noted that she was no longer able to detect odours, experienced vertigo when bending forward, and suffered from reduced hearing in her left ear. In addition, her sense of taste was diminished. As part of her post-injury rehabilitation, she required speech therapy and continued to report these sensory deficits months after the incident.
On January 17, 2025, she reported feeling less giddy but still lacked her sense of smell. A follow-up medical report two months later indicated significant improvement in her speech and confirmed the absence of residual motor deficits. Between November 11, 2024, and March 13, 2025, she attended 19 speech therapy sessions.
Kwek was arrested on October 24, 2024, two days after the incident, and was formally charged in December 2024. While his cycling speed did not exceed the legal limit, the court found that his failure to maintain a proper lookout amounted to negligent conduct, which resulted in serious physical harm to the victim.
For causing grievous hurt by a negligent act, under Section 338(b) of the Penal Code, an individual may be sentenced to a maximum of two years' imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000, or both. In this case, the court imposed a custodial sentence of one week’s imprisonment, citing the severity of the injuries and the degree of negligence despite compliance with the technical speed limit.
Comments
Post a Comment