Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, a 30-year-old driver involved in a dangerous racing incident that resulted in the death of a female pillion rider, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison on Friday.
He was also handed a 10-year driving ban for his reckless actions along the East Coast Parkway (ECP) in February 2024.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE
- Jarrett Tee deliberately swerved his car to block and intimidate a motorcycle rider during a reckless racing game, leading to a fatal collision.
- Ms. Leann Lim, an 18-year-old student and pillion rider, died from her injuries after being thrown from the motorcycle in the crash.
- Tee showed no remorse post-incident, making callous statements that her death was deserved, resulting in a five years and eight months jail sentence and a 10-year driving ban.
INCIDENT DETAILS
According to Channel News Asia report, incident that unfolded on the East Coast Parkway (ECP) expressway earlier this year, Jarrett Tee Lee Kiat, a 30-year-old man, was sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for causing the death of a female pillion rider during a reckless racing game. The court also imposed a 10-year driving ban on Tee on Friday, June 27, after he pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving resulting in death.
The incident occurred in the early hours of February 24, 2024, following a night of reckless activity.
According to court documents and eyewitness footage, Tee was engaged in dangerous “blocking and braking games” with a motorcyclist, Mr. Kovan Tan, along the ECP in the direction of Changi Airport. Tee, who was driving a rented Mercedes-Benz, reached speeds of up to 160 km/h during the pursuit. He deliberately swerved into the motorcycle’s path, forcing Mr. Tan to slow down, which ultimately led to a collision.
The crash caused both Mr. Tan and the pillion rider, Ms. Leann Lim Jia Le, an 18-year-old student, to be thrown from their motorcycle. Ms. Lim sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at Changi General Hospital at 2.47 pm that day. Despite paramedics’ efforts, including CPR, her injuries were deemed irreversible, and she succumbed to her injuries, the report added.
Mr. Tan sustained abrasions and a laceration on his right hand, resulting in three days of hospitalization and six days of medical leave.
Court proceedings revealed that Tee was a full-time student at the National University of Singapore, also working as a part-time chef and social media influencer. On the night of the incident, Tee contacted Vincent Loh, a man known to him, to join him in aimless driving.
Loh, who agreed, picked up two 16-year-old girls later that night, and the group met in Sembawang for supper before cruising separately. During the night, Tee also picked up a 16-year-old man, who was Ms. Lim’s boyfriend, and Ms. Lim herself later joined the group.
While driving towards East Coast Park, Tee engaged in dangerous “blocking and braking games,” swerving into the lane occupied by Mr. Loh’s car and applying brakes intermittently to force him to slow down. At one point, Tee was with a 16-year-old girl and Ms. Lim’s boyfriend in his Mercedes-Benz, while Mr. Tan was on his motorcycle with Ms. Lim as pillion.
The vehicles traveled along the ECP in the direction of Changi Airport.
A key moment occurred when the two vehicles were racing along the ECP. Tee, in a bid to overtake Mr. Tan, sped up to 160 km/h. Mr. Tan attempted to overtake Tee by filtering out of a slip road onto the third lane of the ECP.
Tee, upon seeing the motorcycle, swerved his car to block it. His car swiped the motorcycle, causing Mr. Tan and Ms. Lim to be thrown five to eight meters away. Witnesses reported that Tee applied his brakes four times within seconds with the motorcycle in close proximity, as captured on a dashboard camera, the report added.
LACK OF REMORSE
Ms. Lim was found unresponsive at the scene and was rushed to the hospital. Despite medical efforts, her condition deteriorated, and she died the next day. The autopsy indicated significant brain injury with a poor prognosis.
Post-incident, Tee’s behavior drew further scrutiny. Before police or ambulance arrived, he contacted Loh to claim that “the motorcycle had collided into him.”
When questioned about the incident, Tee falsely claimed that the motorcycle kept taunting him and revving its engine, and that Ms. Lim had pointed her middle finger at him. He admitted to changing lanes and engaging the neutral gear to hide his brake lights, actions that contributed to the collision.
During police interviews, Tee lied that the motorcycle was tailgating and high-beaming him, claiming he changed lanes to give way but that the motorcycle had changed lanes and increased speed, resulting in the crash. After being released on bail, Tee continued to exhibit a lack of remorse, telling Loh that Ms. Lim’s death was “what she deserved” for taunting him, and repeating that she had made a rude gesture.
His attitude persisted during social interactions, where he told friends at a Geylang hotel that Ms. Lim’s death was deserved for her actions.
SENTENCING
The prosecution highlighted his lack of remorse, contrasting his attitude with the efforts of emergency personnel and Ms. Lim’s family, who suffered an “intense loss.”
According to the CNA report, Tee’s lawyer, Pang Khin Wee of IRB Law, described his client as a “sorely misguided young man.” The lawyer explained that Tee’s difficult upbringing—his parents’ divorce and frequent loneliness—contributed to his behavior.
Pang argued that Tee, who was in a competitive mood, merely wanted to “appear macho” to his passengers during the reckless driving, and that he never intended for the motorcycle to collide. Rather, Pang claimed Tee’s actions were an attempt to “increase the perception of danger” and to scare Mr. Tan.
Pang requested a sentence between 42 and 50 months, considering a sentencing discount for Tee’s guilty plea and remorse. He emphasized that Tee immediately called an ambulance after the crash and expressed regret, though his words afterward reflected a “macho” attitude.
The prosecution, however, sought a harsher sentence, requesting between 51 and 68 months, citing victim impact statements from Ms. Lim’s family and highlighting Tee’s apparent lack of remorse, according to the CNA report.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Paul Chia pointed out that Tee’s reckless behavior and attitude after the incident demonstrated a blatant disregard for human life.
In delivering the sentence, the court acknowledged Tee’s dangerous driving, the tragic death of Ms. Lim, and his attitude following the incident. Tee was sentenced to five years and eight months’ imprisonment and was banned from driving for 10 years.
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