The State Courts of Singapore has jailed a private-hire driver for five months after a collision with a motorcyclist left the 68-year-old delivery rider with permanent injuries and 75 per cent disability.
Poovalai Thevar Kathiravannethi, 54, an Indian national and Singapore permanent resident, was convicted after trial of driving without reasonable consideration for other road users and causing grievous hurt, under section 65(1)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1961.
The collision occurred at about 12.27pm on 16 February 2023, when Kathiravannethi was driving a silver Toyota along a slip road leading to the Ayer Rajah Expressway towards the Marina Coastal Expressway.
He moved from the left-most lane to the third right-most lane, where the motorcyclist, Puang bin Idris, was travelling. The car struck the motorcycle from behind.
Front-facing in-car camera footage showed the motorcycle ahead of the car before the lane change. The car moved diagonally towards the motorcycle while accelerating.
District Judge Cheng Yuxi found that Kathiravannethi had failed to keep a proper lookout.
The defence argued that he had checked the road and believed there was sufficient space for the vehicles to travel side by side. It also challenged the accuracy of his police statement, citing anxiety and language difficulties, and suggested the motorcyclist might have lost control while adjusting his visor.
The judge rejected these arguments. The investigating officer said Kathiravannethi had chosen to give his statement in English, understood it, and was given an opportunity to amend it after it was read back to him. He declined to make any changes.
The judge also found that the camera footage did not support the claim that the camera was tilted, and there was no evidence that the motorcyclist had lost control. The rider’s testimony was consistent.
The motorcyclist suffered traumatic brain injuries, fractures to his cervical spine and left rib, a pneumothorax, a left brachial plexus injury, and facial and limb wounds.
He was hospitalised for 16 days and received 493 days of hospitalisation leave. His injuries left him with permanent weakness in his left arm, preventing him from returning to delivery work, which he had done for 30 years. He also needed assistance with dressing, showering and housework.
In sentencing, the judge applied the framework in Chen Song v Public Prosecutor and other appeals [2025] 3 SLR 509, finding that the case involved greater harm but lower culpability.
The offence fell within Band 2 of the sentencing framework, which normally carried a sentence of six months to one year’s imprisonment. The judge set a starting point of five months, below the usual range, because the failure to keep a proper lookout was the only culpability-related factor identified.
No sentencing discount was given for a guilty plea because Kathiravannethi had contested the charge at trial.
He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licence for five years from his release from prison. The judge found no special reasons to depart from the statutory minimum disqualification period.
Kathiravannethi appealed against both his conviction and sentence. A stay of execution of the imprisonment term was granted, and he remained on bail pending the appeal.
Natalie Chu appeared for the prosecution, while James Joseph s/o J Joseph of Prestige Legal LLP represented Kathiravannethi.
This is an unofficial case summary prepared by LexBru for informational and educational purposes only. It has not been reviewed, approved or endorsed by the Singapore Courts. Please refer to the full judgment https://www.elitigation.sg/gd/s/2026_SGDC_337 published on the Singapore Courts website for the Court’s full grounds of decision.