A tragic accident involving careless driving led to the death of a highly respected National University of Singapore (NUS) law professor, Emeritus Professor Tan Yock Lin. The case, which has since concluded in court, highlights the severe consequences of reckless behaviour on the road and the disregard for legal restrictions by repeat offenders.
The offender, Natarajan Mohanraj, a 28-year-old Indian national employed as a construction worker, had already been flagged by the authorities for his history of unsafe driving. In June 2023, the Traffic Police issued him a formal notice instructing him to surrender his driving licence before July 25 that year. However, on July 7, 2023, before the deadline, Natarajan drove a lorry along Upper Thomson Road and caused a fatal collision.
Court documents revealed that he had been distracted by his mobile phone, which was mounted on the lorry’s windscreen. While glancing at the device, the vehicle veered right, mounted a centre divider, crashed through green metal railings, and uprooted two trees before emerging into oncoming traffic. It directly collided with a car driven by 70-year-old Professor Tan.
The impact caused the professor’s vehicle to spin out of control and strike a nearby van, which in turn crashed into a bus. The violent chain reaction left the professor’s car crushed and severely damaged. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers required almost an hour to extricate him. He was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital but succumbed to multiple injuries later that day.
The van driver, a 28-year-old man, sustained rib fractures, and the road had to be closed for nearly three hours as emergency teams cleared the wreckage and debris.
Despite the fatality and his revoked licence, Natarajan’s defiance of the law did not end there. In 2024, he was caught on two occasions continuing to drive illegally. On January 3, 2024, he was stopped by a traffic police officer for not wearing a seatbelt while driving another man’s lorry, with permission from the owner. Later, in May 2024, he again drove the same lorry without the owner’s consent before being stopped by the authorities.
In court, the prosecution stressed the seriousness of his offences, pointing out that not only did his negligence cause the death of a senior academic but he also disregarded the revocation of his driving licence and repeatedly flouted the law.
On August 29, 2025, the court sentenced Natarajan to two years and one month in jail, a fine of $2,000, and imposed a lifetime driving ban in Singapore.
During mitigation, defence lawyer Sarbrinder Singh from Sanders Law argued that his client had been remorseful, fully cooperative with investigations, and was no longer employed. The lawyer highlighted that Natarajan had been driving within the speed limit before the crash and described the fatal accident as a “momentary lapse of judgment” rather than prolonged reckless driving.
Nevertheless, the court determined that his disregard for the law, especially by continuing to drive illegally after the revocation of his licence, warranted a heavy sentence.
This case underscores the dangers of distracted driving and the catastrophic consequences of negligence behind the wheel. It also demonstrates the judiciary’s firm stance against individuals who show blatant disregard for traffic laws and the safety of others. For the family and colleagues of Professor Tan, the loss remains irreplaceable, marking a painful reminder of how one driver’s momentary lapse can devastate many lives.
Comments
Post a Comment