Traffic cop arrested for speeding on duty, causing death of 58-year-old pedestrian

SINGAPORE: A traffic policeman who caused the death of a 58-year-old pedestrian while driving at a speed of 108 km/h was detained on Monday (September 9).

Muhammad Firdaus Yusoff, a 32-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to seven months in prison and banned from holding a driving license for eight years.

He pleaded guilty last week to riding a motorcycle without due regard for other road users at a speed more than twice the posted speed limit of 50 km/h. At the time of the incident, he was on his way to an accident.

When handing down the verdict, District Judge Kok Shu-En told Firdaus: “You of all people should have known how dangerous it is to travel at such speeds.”

However, she noted that he was not travelling at that “significant” speed for a trivial reason – he was on his way to attend to an accident that “understandably requires a certain degree of urgency”.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) had previously told CNA that it had launched an investigation into Firdaus, who holds the rank of SGT (3), and suspended him from frontline duty.

In an update on Monday, police said officers are expected to exercise extreme care regarding public safety when carrying out their duties.

“After the legal proceedings are completed, the SPF will initiate internal disciplinary action against him,” they added.

THE CASE

The court heard that Firdaus joined the traffic police in 2020.

On June 21, 2023, he started his shift around 1 p.m. and checked whether the motorcycle assigned to him was in order and in perfect condition.

At around 5.30pm, he was on his way back to the traffic police headquarters in Ubi when he was dispatched to an incident where a motorcycle had skidded and an ambulance was needed.

Firdaus knew that the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had already been alerted to the incident at the corner of Buangkok Drive and Hougang Avenue 6, but did not know the extent of the injuries and casualties.

The case was not classified as an emergency.

As the first police officer dispatched to the scene, Firdaus's job was to determine the nature of the accident and whether additional police forces were required.

In addition, he had to direct traffic and provide first aid if he arrived before the paramedics.

However, he also knew that he was not allowed to exceed the maximum permitted speed on operations of this kind.

On the way to the scene of the accident, Firdaus was driving in lane 1 of a three-lane road along Hougang Avenue 3, near an intersection with Kim Chuan Road.

The victim, a 58-year-old man, was crossing the road from Firdaus' left side to the right.

Firdaus found that the victim had not noticed the motorcycle's indicators and siren and braked hard while honking the horn.

He tried to swerve to the right to avoid the victim, but did not make it in time.

The impact threw the victim onto the grass verge of the central barrier and threw Firdaus off his motorcycle, which overturned and fell onto its side.

The victim was taken to hospital but died the same day from the numerous injuries sustained in the collision.

The spot where the victim crossed the road was not within 50 metres of an overpass further up the road, the court said.

The victim did not cross the traffic light when it was red. However, every pedestrian who does not cross at a pedestrian crossing must give way to oncoming vehicles, the public prosecutor's office explained.

Investigations revealed that Firdaus' motorcycle had reached a speed of 108 km/h immediately before the collision, but then dropped dramatically.

Firdaus knew that the speed limit on that road was 50 km/h. If he had obeyed that limit, he could have avoided the collision, according to the prosecution.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Daphne Lim and Lim Jia Rong called for a prison sentence of five to seven months and an eight-year driving ban for Firdaus.

They said Firdaus exceeded the speed limit by more than 50 km/h.

“This was dangerous driving and as a police officer the defendant should have known better,” they said.

Prosecutors, however, pointed out that the incident had “a certain urgency.” Although it was not an emergency, Firdaus was the first police officer dispatched there and should have provided first aid if the SCDF had not yet arrived.

The prosecution acknowledged that Firdaus also turned on his siren and flashers to warn others of his presence.

Firdaus was accompanied to court by a large group of family members, who took turns speaking to him in tears before he was led away.

For reckless driving causing death, he could have faced a prison sentence of up to three years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.