SINGAPORE: A coroner's inquiry opened on Wednesday (Apr 1) into the death of a 78-year-old pedestrian that occurred in unusual circumstances.
Before she died, Madam Koh Kuan claimed she was struck by a car, but the driver – who took Mdm Koh to the hospital – said her vehicle did not have any impact with the woman.
The sons of the late Mdm Koh, a Singaporean, attended the inquiry with a lawyer and asked the investigation officer multiple questions including about the inspection of the driver's vehicle, which had some damage to the front that the driver claimed to be "old".
The court heard that the driver, Ms Monica Dee Choo-Ng Jolivet, a 54-year-old housewife, had lodged a police report at about 11am on Dec 31, 2024.
She said that
The incident is believed to have taken place on Dec 31, 2024.
Ms Choo-Ng then took her to hospital in her vehicle. She later made what the investigation officer referred to as a second
Ms Choo-Ng said in her delayed report that Mdm Koh had fallen.
No traffic police officers were dispatched to the scene as there had been no call about a traffic accident and no call for an ambulance.
Ms Choo-Ng took Mdm Koh to Raffles Hospital. A doctor who examined Mdm Koh gave an account that she was conscious and complained of pain in her head and leg.
When asked what happened, Mdm Koh "did not really reply", but said Ms Choo-Ng was the driver of the vehicle that knocked her down when she was crossing the road.
According to the doctor, Mdm Koh said the driver had stated that she did not know Mdm Koh was crossing the road and had knocked her down.
Mdm Koh was later transferred to Singapore General Hospital after a family discussion and was warded there for a month, but died on Jan 31, 2025.
Her cause of death was a head injury. It was consistent with an injury that been sustained due to a fall, but it could not be determined if she had fallen on her own or due to a moving vehicle.
A toxicology report indicated that Mdm Koh had taken paracetamol and medication for high blood pressure.
The investigation officer on the case testified that he had taken over the case from the first investigation officer.
He said no one had been to the police saying they had witnessed the incident.
He said he walked the ground after receiving the case and looked for other cameras that might be pointing towards the location of the alleged accident but there was none.
There was a Land Transport Authority camera but it was pointed towards the road from Bukit Timah coming down to Selegie Road and did not capture Mdm Koh at the alleged accident site.
The investigation officer said the driver's vehicle was examined by the first investigation officer.
There was some damage on the front left portion of the vehicle, but the driver said this was a second-hand car she had just bought, and the damage was "old damage and not new damage" from the accident.
At this, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda asked if the driver and her family have more than one car.
The investigation officer said he did not know.
The coroner then asked if there was any other independent verification as to whether the car Ms Choo-Ng brought down for inspection was the actual car she had driven that day.
The investigation officer said no, but that Ms Choo-Ng had been asked to bring down the car she had driven that day.
Two of Mdm Koh's sons attended the inquiry. One of them asked the investigation officer when he began investigations.
The officer said the case was sent to him on Feb 1, 2025, and he went down to the site on Feb 12, 2025 after Mdm Koh died.
Another son asked if there were any pictures taken of scratches on the car, because he could only see a "paper drawing" in the investigation report.
The officer said he did have a physical copy with him.
One of the sons then asked if it was discernible if the scratch was new or old, because the driver claimed it was "old". He asked if any checks were done.
The investigation officer said he was unable to comment on this as he was not the one who examined the vehicle.
"A police report was lodged by us on Jan 31, 2025, close to Feb 1, because we reported at midnight. Why was the investigation carried out (several) days later only?" asked Mdm Koh's son.
The investigation officer explained that any report that is lodged online or even through a police station is considered a "delayed police report", which officers will go through and assign to a relevant department or investigation officer.
The procedure might take a few days, said the officer, adding that the previous investigation officer had received the case on Jan 5, 2025 and he immediately followed up on it.
On questioning by Mdm Koh's son, the investigation officer said the driver had handed over her car's SD card, but said the card's memory was full and already overwritten. There was nothing relevant inside, the officer said.
Mdm Koh was a Hepatitis B carrier and used to have high blood pressure, but this went down after she started taking medication for high cholesterol. She had a fall about four years ago when a man using his phone had knocked her down at a train station, Mdm Koh's sons said.
However, she was very active, going to the supermarket for discounted groceries and had no problem climbing stairs despite her age, they added.
The coroner adjourned the case for further investigations. He said he would consider whether he would have Ms Choo-Ng subpoenaed as a witness, although this would be quite an unusual move as a coroner's court does not establish liability.
Ms Choo-Ng has not been charged with any criminal offences linked to this case.
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Before she died, Madam Koh Kuan claimed she was struck by a car, but the driver – who took Mdm Koh to the hospital – said her vehicle did not have any impact with the woman.
The sons of the late Mdm Koh, a Singaporean, attended the inquiry with a lawyer and asked the investigation officer multiple questions including about the inspection of the driver's vehicle, which had some damage to the front that the driver claimed to be "old".
The court heard that the driver, Ms Monica Dee Choo-Ng Jolivet, a 54-year-old housewife, had lodged a police report at about 11am on Dec 31, 2024.
She said that
The incident is believed to have taken place on Dec 31, 2024.
Ms Choo-Ng then took her to hospital in her vehicle. She later made what the investigation officer referred to as a second
Ms Choo-Ng said in her delayed report that Mdm Koh had fallen.
No traffic police officers were dispatched to the scene as there had been no call about a traffic accident and no call for an ambulance.
Ms Choo-Ng took Mdm Koh to Raffles Hospital. A doctor who examined Mdm Koh gave an account that she was conscious and complained of pain in her head and leg.
When asked what happened, Mdm Koh "did not really reply", but said Ms Choo-Ng was the driver of the vehicle that knocked her down when she was crossing the road.
According to the doctor, Mdm Koh said the driver had stated that she did not know Mdm Koh was crossing the road and had knocked her down.
Mdm Koh was later transferred to Singapore General Hospital after a family discussion and was warded there for a month, but died on Jan 31, 2025.
Her cause of death was a head injury. It was consistent with an injury that been sustained due to a fall, but it could not be determined if she had fallen on her own or due to a moving vehicle.
A toxicology report indicated that Mdm Koh had taken paracetamol and medication for high blood pressure.
The investigation officer on the case testified that he had taken over the case from the first investigation officer.
He said no one had been to the police saying they had witnessed the incident.
He said he walked the ground after receiving the case and looked for other cameras that might be pointing towards the location of the alleged accident but there was none.
There was a Land Transport Authority camera but it was pointed towards the road from Bukit Timah coming down to Selegie Road and did not capture Mdm Koh at the alleged accident site.
The investigation officer said the driver's vehicle was examined by the first investigation officer.
There was some damage on the front left portion of the vehicle, but the driver said this was a second-hand car she had just bought, and the damage was "old damage and not new damage" from the accident.
QUESTIONS FOR THE IO
At this, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda asked if the driver and her family have more than one car.
The investigation officer said he did not know.
The coroner then asked if there was any other independent verification as to whether the car Ms Choo-Ng brought down for inspection was the actual car she had driven that day.
The investigation officer said no, but that Ms Choo-Ng had been asked to bring down the car she had driven that day.
Two of Mdm Koh's sons attended the inquiry. One of them asked the investigation officer when he began investigations.
The officer said the case was sent to him on Feb 1, 2025, and he went down to the site on Feb 12, 2025 after Mdm Koh died.
Another son asked if there were any pictures taken of scratches on the car, because he could only see a "paper drawing" in the investigation report.
The officer said he did have a physical copy with him.
One of the sons then asked if it was discernible if the scratch was new or old, because the driver claimed it was "old". He asked if any checks were done.
The investigation officer said he was unable to comment on this as he was not the one who examined the vehicle.
"A police report was lodged by us on Jan 31, 2025, close to Feb 1, because we reported at midnight. Why was the investigation carried out (several) days later only?" asked Mdm Koh's son.
The investigation officer explained that any report that is lodged online or even through a police station is considered a "delayed police report", which officers will go through and assign to a relevant department or investigation officer.
The procedure might take a few days, said the officer, adding that the previous investigation officer had received the case on Jan 5, 2025 and he immediately followed up on it.
On questioning by Mdm Koh's son, the investigation officer said the driver had handed over her car's SD card, but said the card's memory was full and already overwritten. There was nothing relevant inside, the officer said.
Mdm Koh was a Hepatitis B carrier and used to have high blood pressure, but this went down after she started taking medication for high cholesterol. She had a fall about four years ago when a man using his phone had knocked her down at a train station, Mdm Koh's sons said.
However, she was very active, going to the supermarket for discounted groceries and had no problem climbing stairs despite her age, they added.
The coroner adjourned the case for further investigations. He said he would consider whether he would have Ms Choo-Ng subpoenaed as a witness, although this would be quite an unusual move as a coroner's court does not establish liability.
Ms Choo-Ng has not been charged with any criminal offences linked to this case.
Continue reading...