SINGAPORE: The driver of the car involved in the fatal crash on Tanjong Pagar Road that claimed five lives last year was drink-driving and speeding in the lead up to the collision.
This was according to evidence given by a Traffic Police investigation officer on Thursday (Jun 9), the first day of a coroner's inquiry into the deaths .
The driver, Jonathan Long Junwei, and four passengers, Eugene Yap Zheng Min, Elvin Tan Yong Hao, Teo Qi Xiang and Gary Wong Hong Chieh, died in the collision at about 5.40am on Feb 13, 2021.
Based on the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) forensic investigations, the car was going at 148kmh when Mr Long was driving. The speed limit on Tanjong Pagar Road was 50kmh.
Toxicology reports also showed that Mr Long's blood alcohol level was at 86mg per 100ml at the time, which is above the drink-driving limit of 80mg.
According to autopsy reports, all five died of severe burns in the fire that engulfed the car and shophouse into which it crashed. Two of the passengers, Mr Teo and Mr Wong, also died of a cervical spine injury and pelvic injuries respectively.
The men knew each other as they were colleagues, while Mr Wong was their former colleague.
Senior staff sergeant Mohd Firdaus Sulaiman said that before the collision, the five men had gathered at a house in Ang Mo Kio for Chinese New Year celebrations.
After drinking alcohol at the gathering, they decided to have supper at Tanjong Pagar Road as it was a common hangout area for them.
As all the eateries in the area were closed, they decided to go to Hong Jjajang restaurant owned by Park Se Jin, as he had the restaurant's key.
Mr Park opened up the restaurant and the group went there, where they continued drinking alcohol.
Aside from the five men and Mr Park, three women were also present, among them Raybe Oh and Phoo Yi Lin.
Ms Oh suffered burns when she later tried to help the occupants in the burning car, while Ms Phoo took a video of the collision that was entered into evidence.
At about 4am, the group decided to leave the restaurant as Mr Long wanted to show his friends his new car. The car was driven on three rounds, with a different driver each time, until Mr Long took the wheel on the fourth round and the crash occurred.
The route saw the car go from the restaurant on Tanjong Pagar Road towards Keppel, before it made a U-turn at Enggor Street after Amara Hotel to return to Tanjong Pagar Road towards Maxwell. It then made another U-turn near 37 Tanjong Pagar Road to return to the restaurant.
The car completed this route without incident during the first three rounds.
During the fourth and final round driven by Mr Long, he lost control of the car, which skidded on its side towards the shophouse at 37 Tanjong Pagar Road, mounted the kerb and rear-ended a pillar. Seconds later, flames engulfed the car.
The hearing continues in the afternoon with a fire investigator taking the stand.
Before the hearing began, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda reminded those present that a coroner's inquiry is a fact-finding process to look into the circumstances leading to a death.
The Coroners Act specifically prohibits the coroner from framing a finding to determine any question of criminal liability, according to the Attorney-General Chambers' website.
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This was according to evidence given by a Traffic Police investigation officer on Thursday (Jun 9), the first day of a coroner's inquiry into the deaths .
The driver, Jonathan Long Junwei, and four passengers, Eugene Yap Zheng Min, Elvin Tan Yong Hao, Teo Qi Xiang and Gary Wong Hong Chieh, died in the collision at about 5.40am on Feb 13, 2021.
Based on the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) forensic investigations, the car was going at 148kmh when Mr Long was driving. The speed limit on Tanjong Pagar Road was 50kmh.
Toxicology reports also showed that Mr Long's blood alcohol level was at 86mg per 100ml at the time, which is above the drink-driving limit of 80mg.
According to autopsy reports, all five died of severe burns in the fire that engulfed the car and shophouse into which it crashed. Two of the passengers, Mr Teo and Mr Wong, also died of a cervical spine injury and pelvic injuries respectively.
The men knew each other as they were colleagues, while Mr Wong was their former colleague.
Senior staff sergeant Mohd Firdaus Sulaiman said that before the collision, the five men had gathered at a house in Ang Mo Kio for Chinese New Year celebrations.
After drinking alcohol at the gathering, they decided to have supper at Tanjong Pagar Road as it was a common hangout area for them.
As all the eateries in the area were closed, they decided to go to Hong Jjajang restaurant owned by Park Se Jin, as he had the restaurant's key.
Mr Park opened up the restaurant and the group went there, where they continued drinking alcohol.
Aside from the five men and Mr Park, three women were also present, among them Raybe Oh and Phoo Yi Lin.
Ms Oh suffered burns when she later tried to help the occupants in the burning car, while Ms Phoo took a video of the collision that was entered into evidence.
At about 4am, the group decided to leave the restaurant as Mr Long wanted to show his friends his new car. The car was driven on three rounds, with a different driver each time, until Mr Long took the wheel on the fourth round and the crash occurred.
The route saw the car go from the restaurant on Tanjong Pagar Road towards Keppel, before it made a U-turn at Enggor Street after Amara Hotel to return to Tanjong Pagar Road towards Maxwell. It then made another U-turn near 37 Tanjong Pagar Road to return to the restaurant.
The car completed this route without incident during the first three rounds.
During the fourth and final round driven by Mr Long, he lost control of the car, which skidded on its side towards the shophouse at 37 Tanjong Pagar Road, mounted the kerb and rear-ended a pillar. Seconds later, flames engulfed the car.
The hearing continues in the afternoon with a fire investigator taking the stand.
Before the hearing began, State Coroner Adam Nakhoda reminded those present that a coroner's inquiry is a fact-finding process to look into the circumstances leading to a death.
The Coroners Act specifically prohibits the coroner from framing a finding to determine any question of criminal liability, according to the Attorney-General Chambers' website.
Continue reading...