Tampines crash driver handed fresh charge of dangerous driving causing grievous hurt

SINGAPORE – The driver at the centre of a multi-vehicle crash in Tampines last year that claimed two lives has been handed a new charge.

On 9 June 2025, Muhammad Syafie Ismail, 44, was charged with dangerous driving causing grievous hurt to two motorists: van driver Chia Tong Chai, 65, and car driver Muhammad Azril Mahmood, 49.

The case has been adjourned, with Syafie expected to return to court on 26 June 2025. No plea has yet been taken.

April 2024 crash: sequence of events

According to court documents, the fatal crash took place on the morning of 22 April 2024 at the junction of Tampines Avenue 1 and Tampines Avenue 4.

Investigators allege that Syafie was driving along Bedok Reservoir Road towards Tampines Avenue 4 when he abruptly changed lanes to overtake another car, sideswiping it. The vehicle veered left and scraped against a kerb, but Syafie allegedly failed to stop and provide his particulars.

Shortly after, he allegedly ran a red light and collided with three cars. The impact set off a chain collision involving a van and a minibus.

Two passengers were killed:

• Afifah Munirah Muhammad Azril, 17, a Temasek Junior College student, who was travelling in her father’s car.

• Norzihan Juwahib, 57, an employee of a pest control company, who was a passenger in Chia’s van.

Several others were injured, including an 11-year-old boy in one of the cars and another child on the minibus.

Victims identified in grievous hurt charge

Both Chia and Azril sustained serious injuries in the collision, and they are now formally identified as victims in the new charge.

Syafie had earlier faced four charges filed in April 2024:

1. Dangerous driving causing death

2. Dangerous driving causing hurt

3. Dangerous driving

4. Failing to stop after an accident

In addition to the criminal proceedings, he faces two civil lawsuits for negligence, including one filed by Chia and another by a van passenger.

Penalties if convicted

If convicted, Syafie faces the following penalties:

• Dangerous driving causing death: 2–8 years’ jail and disqualification from driving.

• Dangerous driving causing grievous hurt: 1–5 years’ jail and mandatory driving ban.

• Dangerous driving causing hurt: Up to 2 years’ jail, up to S$10,000 fine, or both, plus disqualification.

• Dangerous driving: Up to 12 months’ jail, up to S$5,000 fine, or both.

• Failing to stop after an accident: Up to 3 months’ jail, up to S$1,000 fine, or both.

Road safety concerns amid rising fatalities

The case has drawn significant public attention, not only because of the fatalities but also due to widely circulated video footage of the crash. It has since been cited in broader discussions about road safety.

According to the Traffic Police’s annual report, road deaths in Singapore hit a five-year high in 2024, with 142 fatalities, up from 136 in 2023. Injuries also climbed to 9,302.

Speeding remains the top cause of fatal crashes, accounting for one in three fatal accidents in 2024. Speeding offences also surged by 64.8 per cent year on year.

While red-light running violations fell by nearly 12 per cent, the problem of reckless driving remains a key concern.

Government response: harsher penalties and enforcement

Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam announced tougher measures in February 2025. These include higher demerit points, steeper composition fines, and new red-light cameras equipped with speed enforcement technology, rolled out islandwide from April 2025.

Speaking then, Shanmugam underscored the urgency of tackling dangerous driving:

“People are dying and getting injured on our roads. Every vehicle is a potential missile—it’s dangerous if you don’t use it properly.”