A man was sentenced to 28 weeks’ jail on Aug 28 for punching an elderly cabby on his right eye in a road rage incident, causing injuries that could affect the victim’s sight.
Marcus Loke Teck Soon, 26, who was also involved in a traffic accident that resulted in fractures to an elderly pedestrian, was disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for a period of five years after his release.
Loke had pleaded guilty on Aug 4 to one count each of assault and causing grievous hurt to another person while driving a car without considering other road users.
According to court documents, the road rage incident occurred when Loke and the 68-year-old taxi driver got into a dispute.
The altercation began after the older man overtook Loke, who was driving a van along Ayer Rajah Expressway towards Marina Coastal Expressway shortly before 3pm on Aug 12, 2022.
Both vehicles exited the expressway and the cabby stopped at a pedestrian crossing near Alexandra Road. Loke then got out of his van to confront the older man.
At some point, he saw the cabby flashing an obscene hand gesture at him.
He ordered the man to alight from his vehicle, but the latter refused to comply and tried to drive away.
Loke then punched the cabby before leaving the scene.
The cabby started bleeding from his nose and sought treatment at Alexandra Hospital. He was later found to have a fractured right eye socket and bleeding behind the eyeball.
He was hospitalised from Aug 12 to Aug 16, 2022, and given 50 days of hospitalisation leave.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Samuel Chew told the court the victim had to retire from his job after the assault and is now jobless.
The DPP added: “His overall quality of life is also adversely affected, as his visual acuity has been limited to the counting of fingers only.
“The victim has also attended, and continues to attend, multiple medical appointments with an ophthalmologist, and is required to apply topical lubricants and ointments to his eyes four times a day.”
Separately, Loke was driving a car along Kim Seng Road at around 3.15pm on Feb 22, 2023, when he failed to notice a 74-year-old woman crossing the road with a pedestrian light in her favour.
His car then struck her while he was making a discretionary right turn into Havelock Road.
He immediately stopped his vehicle to help the woman, who suffered from a head injury and leg fractures, and called for an ambulance.
The woman was unconscious when she was taken to the Singapore General Hospital, and she was later given 162 days of hospitalisation leave.
She is unlikely to regain full function of her right leg and may have to use walking aids, the court heard.
Shaffiq Alkhatib for The Straits Times
