Kota Kinabalu: A 65-year-old woman was fined RM5,500, in default six months’ jail, by the Magistrate’s Court here after pleading guilty to careless driving in an incident that resulted in a motorcyclist’s death.
Liew Yen Fung @ Jeanie Liew pleaded guilty before Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali to driving a Toyota Camry without due care and consideration for other road users at Jalan Lintas at about 7.34pm on Jan 22 this year.
She was charged under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which provides for a fine of between RM5,000 and RM10,000 and imprisonment for up to 12 months upon conviction.
The court heard that Liew was driving from Kolombong towards home when she reached the traffic lights near the U-turn at Jalan Lintas, close to Starbucks.
She attempted to make a U-turn from the right lane before colliding with an Aveta motorcycle.
The impact struck the front passenger-side door of the car and severely damaged the front of the motorcycle.
The motorcyclist sustained injuries and was rushed by ambulance to the Emergency Department of Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, but was pronounced dead at 8.40pm the same day.
Investigations found that Liew had failed to exercise due care and consideration for other road users by making the U-turn without first ensuring it was safe to enter the opposite lane.
In mitigation, counsel Mohd Al Hafidz sought a lenient sentence, citing Liew’s status as a first-time offender and her unemployment.
However, traffic prosecuting officer Inspector Irianshah Bakar urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence, stressing the public interest involved and the need to remind motorists to exercise greater care while driving.
