RSAF officer charged in US for reckless driving

[MarrickG]

THE Singaporean driver of the car that crashed in the United States last November, killing a fellow Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) regular serviceman, has been charged with careless driving.

Lim Jun Kai, 23, an RSAF lieutenant, has also been issued a traffic citation, according to the latest report obtained by The Straits Times from the Florida Highway Patrol.

Under Florida law, a traffic citation may be compounded with a fine and demerit points.

Lim, Lt Chee Zhi Hao, 21, and Lt Ingkiriwang Wei Zhi Reeve, 22, were believed to have been on their way back to their base at the US Army Aviation Centre in Fort Rucker, Alabama, when the crash happened.

Lt Chee, who was in the back seat, was evacuated by air to the Scared Heart Hospital in Pensacola, Florida, where he died hours later.

Lt Ingkiriwang, who was the front seat passenger, as well as Lim suffered minor injuries.

Preliminary investigations disclosed days after the crash said that Lt Chee was the only one not wearing a seat belt in the car.

But the latest report issued last Friday confirmed that all three men had been belted up when the car veered off the road along US Highway 331, near Freeport, Florida. It is not known how the latest finding was derived but the report said the investigation is now complete.

The investigation revealed that the Toyota Corolla, which had been travelling on the right lane, veered onto a grassy shoulder and moved for some distance before Lim slammed on the brakes. It travelled for another 14m before hitting the back of a parked Chevrolet truck.

The truck was unoccupied.

Alcohol has been ruled out as a cause.

The three men arrived in the US in late June last year to attend the Initial Entry to Rotary Wing course, an entry-level programme for trainee helicopter pilots.

The course ended last month, but The Straits Times understands that Lim and Lt Ingkiriwang are still in the US.

The three men were known to be close buddies who travelled around the US together. At the time of the accident, they had been on a trip organised by their military centre to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum in Florida.

When contacted, Lt Chee’s family declined to comment on the incident or on the latest findings.

 

[mscitw]

Peasant Lim thinks since he is a hot shot pilot, driving a car is child's play. For future baboons new to US roads, they are advised to be take extreme care.