Aug 18, 2010
Girl's death due to negligence
<!-- by line --> By Khushwant Singh
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Announcing his findings on Tuesday, Coroner Kessler Soh said Tijan Syafiq Selamat (above), 27, had not exercised a proper lookout the night of Dec 1. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
A CAR salesman's negligence caused the death of five-year-old Zhao Linqian in a traffic accident last year, said the State Coroner. Announcing his findings on Tuesday, Coroner Kessler Soh said Tijan Syafiq Selamat, 27, had not exercised a proper lookout the night of Dec 1. 'In my opinion, it was negligent to travel at such a high speed along a road near a bus stop serving a densely populated estate,' noted Coroner Soh.
The coroner noted that the speed limit there was 50kmh but accident reconstruction experts determined that Mr Tijan's Subaru Impreza was travelling between 71kmh and 85kmh at that time. The impact flung the young girl about 44m from point of impact. Mr Tijan, who declined to testify at the inquiry last month, had told police he only realised his car had hit something when he heard a loud bang.
There was also no brake marks on the road to indicate that the car had tried to stop prior to the collision. Instead, the souped-up car came to a halt some 15 to 20m away. It is now up to the Attorney-General's Chambers to decide if Mr Tijan is to be prosecuted.
Lawyers said that if there is a prosecution and conviction for causing the girl's death through a negligent act, then the father has good grounds to take out a civil suit against the driver, Mr Tijan appeared extremely worried after the hearing and declined to speak to reporters. The court was told that traffic police would be liaising with the Land Transport Authority on prosecuting the car salesman on the illegal modifications done on his Impreza.
