SINGAPORE: A driver in a 2024 chain collision in Tampines that killed two people has had his guilty plea date delayed again.
Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 44, was set to plead guilty as early as October 2025, but this was changed several times. This year, he was scheduled to plead guilty in January, but this was shifted to April.
CNA's checks of court records on Thursday (Mar 19) showed that the guilty-plea date for Apr 1 was rescheduled to a pre-trial conference on Mar 23. No new date has been fixed yet for a guilty plea.
A pre-trial conference is a hearing before a judge, held away from the public and media, during which both sides discuss administrative matters.
CNA understands that the delay has to do with the obtaining of certain medical reports.
Syafie faces five charges under the Road Traffic Act for an incident in April last year at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4.
His charges include dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing hurt and failing to stop after an accident.
He is accused of driving recklessly along Bedok Reservoir Road towards Tampines Avenue 4 after 7am on Apr 22, 2024.
His abrupt lane change to overtake a car allegedly resulted in a "sideswipe collision", which caused another car to veer left and scrape its tyres against the road kerb.
He then allegedly drove through a red light and collided with three cars, one of which spun and hit a van.
In the aftermath, 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril died, along with a van passenger: 57-year-old Norzihan Juwahib, an employee of a pest control company.
The van, in turn, hit a minibus, and an 11-year-old boy inside was injured.
Syafie is represented by lawyers from Regent Law.
If convicted of dangerous driving causing death, Syafie may be jailed between two and eight years and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
For dangerous driving causing hurt, he could be fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,700), or jailed for up to two years, or both, and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
If convicted of dangerous driving, he could face a fine of up to S$5,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
The offence of failing to stop after an accident carries a maximum fine of S$1,000, up to three months' jail, or both.
Court records show that he is embroiled in two civil suits in addition to his criminal case. One of the claimants is a named victim injured in the crash.
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Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 44, was set to plead guilty as early as October 2025, but this was changed several times. This year, he was scheduled to plead guilty in January, but this was shifted to April.
CNA's checks of court records on Thursday (Mar 19) showed that the guilty-plea date for Apr 1 was rescheduled to a pre-trial conference on Mar 23. No new date has been fixed yet for a guilty plea.
A pre-trial conference is a hearing before a judge, held away from the public and media, during which both sides discuss administrative matters.
CNA understands that the delay has to do with the obtaining of certain medical reports.
Syafie faces five charges under the Road Traffic Act for an incident in April last year at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4.
His charges include dangerous driving causing death, dangerous driving causing hurt and failing to stop after an accident.
He is accused of driving recklessly along Bedok Reservoir Road towards Tampines Avenue 4 after 7am on Apr 22, 2024.
His abrupt lane change to overtake a car allegedly resulted in a "sideswipe collision", which caused another car to veer left and scrape its tyres against the road kerb.
He then allegedly drove through a red light and collided with three cars, one of which spun and hit a van.
In the aftermath, 17-year-old Temasek Junior College student Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril died, along with a van passenger: 57-year-old Norzihan Juwahib, an employee of a pest control company.
The van, in turn, hit a minibus, and an 11-year-old boy inside was injured.
Syafie is represented by lawyers from Regent Law.
If convicted of dangerous driving causing death, Syafie may be jailed between two and eight years and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
For dangerous driving causing hurt, he could be fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,700), or jailed for up to two years, or both, and disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.
If convicted of dangerous driving, he could face a fine of up to S$5,000, a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.
The offence of failing to stop after an accident carries a maximum fine of S$1,000, up to three months' jail, or both.
Court records show that he is embroiled in two civil suits in addition to his criminal case. One of the claimants is a named victim injured in the crash.
Continue reading...