Tuas Checkpoint accident: Man, 42, suspected of drink-driving nabbed after allegedly losing control of car and hitting Certis officer

SINGAPORE — A 42-year-old man was arrested for dangerous driving causing grievous hurt and drink-driving, after an accident at Tuas Checkpoint in the early hours of Friday (March 24).

His driving licence has also been suspended with immediate effect, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the police said in a joint statement on the same day.

A 28-year-old auxiliary police officer who was on duty suffered a severe head injury and was left unconscious after being hit by the vehicle.

The driver, a Singaporean, had cuts and both he and the officer were taken to the National University hospital.

ICA and the police did not give more details on the officer’s condition.

Initial investigations revealed that the driver was allegedly intoxicated and driving at high speed up the viaduct leading to Tuas Checkpoint.

He then purportedly lost control of his car and crashed into the observation point, causing the car to flip over and hit the officer.

“ICA’s first response team was dispatched to the scene to render assistance and cordon off the site. Officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Traffic Police were also activated,” the authority and police said.

The Singapore-registered car was seized and police investigations are ongoing. 

ICA and Certis, which is the employer of the officer, are in contact with the officer’s family members to offer the necessary assistance and support.

ICA said: “(Our) officers stationed at the checkpoints, including auxiliary police officers, carry out their duties to safeguard Singapore’s borders.

“Motorists using the checkpoints need to drive safely and abide by traffic rules not just for their own safety but also the safety of our officers.

“We will not hesitate to take strict enforcement action against blatant breach of such rules.”

If found guilty of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt, the driver may face a jail term of one to five years. Repeat offenders could be jailed two to 10 years.

The penalty for the offence of driving while under the influence of drinks carries a fine of S$2,000 to S$10,000 and a jail term of up to 12 months, or both.

For the second or more convictions, the punishment is a fine of S$5,000 to S$20,000 and jail term of up to two years, or both.

Offenders are also liable to be disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles.