‘See motorcycle fly’: Singapore driver jailed after teen killed in rash move
The driver reportedly showed no remorse after the incident, saying that the victim ‘deserved it’
A Singapore driver has been jailed for more than five years after causing the death of a pillion rider in a high-speed challenge, with local media reporting he had shown no remorse after the incident.
Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, 30, was involved in “blocking and braking games” with a motorcyclist, the court heard, and had asked passengers in his rented Mercedes-Benz, “Do you want to see a motorcycle fly?” before swerving into the path of his opponent on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) in February last year.
The collision flung rider Kovan Tan, 27, and pillion Leann Lim Jia Le, 18, off their bike, killing the latter.
According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Tee, who was a student at the National University of Singapore at the time and also a part-time chef and social media influencer, reportedly said of Lim: “She deserved it as she come and push my limit.”
On Friday, he was jailed for five years and eight months after pleading guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing the death of Lim, and banned from the roads for a decade.
Tee’s lawyer told the court it was never his client’s intention to cause harm, and that he had immediately called an ambulance after the crash.
On his reactions after the death, the defence, citing Tee’s lonely upbringing as his parents were divorced, stressed that Tee was merely trying to appear “macho” to friends.
The court heard that on the night of February 23, last year, Tee and an acquaintance known as Vincent Loh arranged to cruise around the city state aimlessly.
Loh drove another car with two 16-year-old girls as passengers, with the group driving around for a bit before victim Lim and her boyfriend joined them.
At some point, Lim’s boyfriend moved to Tee’s car, allowing Tan to ride his motorcycle with Lim as his pillion.
The two vehicles started racing on the ECP, in the direction of Changi Airport, with Tee hitting speeds of up to 160km/h (100mph). The maximum speed limit on the ECP is 90km/h (56mph).
At a slip road, Tan cut across Tee’s path in an attempt to overtake, which was when Tee remarked to his two passengers if they wanted to “see motorcycle fly” and swerved to block the bike, against pleas from Lim’s boyfriend.
The swipe from Tee’s car flung both motorcycle riders a distance of up to 8 metres (26 feet). Lim was unconscious and suffered severe brain injuries, dying in hospital the next day, while Tan sustained abrasions and lacerations.
The court heard Tee had told Loh after the incident he was “taunted” by the riders and that the motorcycle had revved its engine at him while Lim had pointed her middle finger, so he “played” with them. When Loh expressed shock at Tee’s behaviour, the latter said Lim “deserved it as she come and push my limit”.
When Tee was released on bail a day after the accident, Loh had asked him in a meeting if he was afraid of the consequences, to which he reportedly replied: “Why scared?” and “Who ask her to p*** me off”, adding Lim “deserved” the outcome.
He repeated this remark to friends at drinks in a hotel on the same evening.
The prosecution pointed to Tee’s lack of remorse in asking for a jail term of 51 months to 68 months, referring also to impact statements from Lim’s father and stepmother.
In statements recorded after the crash, Tee had also lied that the motorcycle had tailgated and flashed its headlight at him.
During the sentencing, the court took into consideration another two counts of dangerous driving, including the injuries caused to Tan.
Road rage incidents are relatively rare in Singapore but get a lot of play when they do happen. In a popular Facebook group called SG Road Vigilante, videos showing heated exchanges between local motorists usually receive plenty of views.
“The anger that manifests on the asphalt comes from other areas of our lives where we harbour unresolved fury,” marketing director Imran Johri hypothesised in a CNA commentary in February.
