An 18-year-old teenager was convicted of causing hurt by a rash act as he overlooked the crowded Sumei bus stop while riding his e-scooter and hit a three-year-old girl.
As per the court documents, the victim was with her older brother and maid on the day of the incident which took place almost two years ago when she was going to the bus stop just outside Eastpoint Mall.
At around 1 pm on the same day Muhammad Lutfi Dzakir Abdul Rahman, who was then 16, a student from the Institute of Technical Education was riding his e-scooter at 17kmh to 19kmh near the bus stop and did not slow down even though he saw the crowd near the bus stop.
But when he approached the end of the bus stop and noticed children, he tried to stop the vehicle but he collided with the victim and knocked her to the ground. After the accident, he stopped and tried to help the girl.
The maid, who was with the child, took the victim to Changi General Hospital and after a check-up, the doctors noticed that the girl suffered a mild abrasion on her right knee and a superficial cut. She was also diagnosed with minor head and limb injuries but was discharged on the same day.
The convict Lutfi Dzakir went to see the child at the hospital and offered financial aid to the mother of the child for medical expenses. But during the court hearing, the lawyer Stacey Lopez said the child's family did not want to accept any compensation, while the Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng stated that this was because the victim was covered by insurance.
District Judge May Mesenas called for a probation suitability report for the accused, who is expected to return in court on Aug 19 for sentencing.
The law states that whoever causes hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others, shall be punished — (a) in the case of a rash act, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to $5,000, or with both; or (b) in the case of a negligent act, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $2,500, or with both.
