Updated: 08/27/2013 20:56 | By Channel NewsAsia
Coroner's inquiry into car crash that killed 3 opens
SINGAPORE: The sole survivor of a car crash that claimed the lives of three men took the stand as a joint coroner's inquiry into their deaths opened on Tuesday.
Logistics officer Jamal Haneef Kader Sultan, 24, was saved by an airbag which inflated when the Honda Civic he was in hit a tree along Yio Chu Kang road in the early hours of March 2 this year.
His three friends -- driver, 24-year-old Rammohan Subash Nair, and rear passengers, 23-year-old Harendran Banjatjaram, and 22-year-old Shankar Tharumalingam -- died from their injuries.
During Tuesday's inquiry, Mr Jamal told the court that he had met them and some other friends at the void deck of a block of flats in Serangoon Avenue 4 late on the night of March 1.
They had consumed alcoholic drinks there.
Around 2.30am, when the gathering was over, Mr Rammohan agreed to give Mr Jamal, Mr Harendran and Mr Shankar a ride home.
Mr Jamal said he had asked Mr Rammohan whether he was able to drive after consuming alcohol. The latter responded that he was okay.
According to a toxicology report that was submitted to the court on Tuesday, the alcohol level in Mr Rammohan's blood was 92 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of blood. This was over the prescribed legal limit of 80 milligrammes.
At that level, Mr Rammohan would have been intoxicated if he was not used to alcohol, and he would not be able to undertake any mechanical tasks like driving a car.
He would also have experienced a delayed reaction time, and become inattentive as a result.
According to investigations, Mr Rammohan later lost control of the vehicle while driving down a slope at considerable speed.
A mechanical assessment and inspection of the car found that a nail was embedded in the tyre thread of its left front tyre, and another in its right rear tyre.
These caused the tyres to be punctured and might have led to a loss of control of the vehicle.
Mr Jamal gave evidence that he had noticed Mr Rammohan's hand, which was on the steering wheel, suddenly swerved to the left before he felt the tyres hit and mount a kerb.
Mr Jamal said he also noticed Mr Rammohan's head swaying, and could not tell if his eyes were open or closed before the car crashed into a signboard.
Investigations revealed that the car flipped mid-air, hit a signboard, a concrete structure, a lamp-post, and finally a tree.
The crash shattered the rear windscreen. The impact caused both Mr Harendren and Mr Shankar, who were not belted up, to be flung out of the broken windscreen.
Mr Rammohan had to be extricated from the vehicle.
State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid asked Mr Jamal if he felt enough had been done to ensure Mr Rammohan was capable of operating the car.
Mr Jamal said "no". He had earlier said that he believed the group was not drunk, but simply high after drinking alcohol.
The families of the three dead men were also at the inquiry on Tuesday.
No foul play is suspected, and the State Coroner is expected to deliver his findings on September 18. - CNA/al
