Accidents happen when we least expect it. But sometimes, it could have been avoided if we just exercise a little more care.
In a split second, someone’s life may be taken away due to someone else’s carelessness or reckless decision.
This particular case is a good example of that:
Teen Jailed For Killing Pedestrian After Cycling Handsfree To Reply Instagram Message
3 June 2018 might have seemed like a normal day for Muhammad Adli Adi, a Temasek Polytechnic student who was working as a part-time Foodpanda delivery worker.
However, things quickly took a turn for the worse because of…an Instagram message.
Adli was riding his bicycle along a shared path at around 8pm in Tampines when he decided it was a good idea to lift both hands off the handlebar to reply to an Instagram message on his phone.
After he had finished replying the Instagram message, he placed his left hand on the handlebar. Unfortunately, he didn’t notice that Madam Poh Cho Hui, 60, was walking in front of him.
Everything must have happened really fast and in a split second, his bicycle had hit her before he could even do anything. She subsequently fell onto the ground.
Laid Face Up On The Ground & Was Unresponsive Though Eyes Were Open
She laid on the ground face-up and was found to be bleeding from the back of the head. To make matters worse, she was unresponsive though her eyes were wide open.
Madam Poh Cho Hui, a mother of three, was brought to Changi General Hospital after the police were told of the incident. At the hospital, they diagnosed her with “traumatic brain injury”.
She passed away on 9 June 2018.
Probation “Takes A Backseat” And Jail Is More Suitable When Death Is Caused
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani told District Judge Eddy Tham that Adli had been riding a fixed-gear bicycle which did not have a manual braking system.
Adli’s bicycle was reported to have a pedal brake mechanism which was operated by turning the pedals backwards.
In simpler terms, this just means that the bicycle was “more difficult to control”, and thus, he asked the judge to sentence the student to three weeks’ jail.
The Judge mentioned that young offender are usually suitable for probation, however in this instance, a death has been caused. Hence, jail time is more appropriate and probation “takes a backseat”.
This is in the hopes that others will take a page out of the book and be more careful.
Son Says His Heart Is At Ease
Madam Poh’s family members were in court on Friday and told The Straits Times, “Our hearts are at ease. He has received his deserved punishment. What’s done is done. We have to move on with our lives.”
For causing Madam Poh’s death by performing a negligent act, Adli could have been jailed for up to two years and fined.
