Man who fled from scene after alleged assault arrested after police car chase

SINGAPORE – A 33-year-old man has been arrested for his suspected involvement in a case of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means and for failing to provide a breath specimen.

In a statement on Nov 7, the police said they were alerted to a case of assault in River Valley Road at about 8.35pm on Nov 6.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the 33-year-old man had assaulted a 34-year-old man with a sharp object.

The 34-year-old man suffered injuries and was taken to hospital while conscious, while the alleged assailant fled the scene in his vehicle.

On Nov 7, at about 12.05am, police officers on patrol along Tessensohn Road spotted his vehicle and signalled it to stop. The man failed to comply and sped off.

Officers pursued the vehicle, which later collided with another car and overturned at the junction of Race Course Road and Birch Road.

The 36-year-old male driver of the other car and his two female passengers, aged 26 and 42, were taken to hospital while conscious.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Singapore Civil Defence Force said three people were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, and one to Changi General Hospital.

In a video of the accident shared on Facebook, an SUV is seen ignoring a red light signal and driving through a junction while other vehicles have already stopped. Police sirens can be heard blaring in the background.

Several honks can be heard before a white car T-bones the SUV, causing the SUV to turn turtle.

At least two police cars then pull up behind the flipped SUV, and officers are seen racing towards the SUV on foot.

The 33-year-old man was arrested at the scene, and was taken to hospital while conscious, the police said.

He is set to be charged in court on Nov 7 with the offence of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous and failure to provide specimen of breath.

Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means carries a jail term which may extend to seven years, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.

Failing to provide a breath specimen is punishable with a fine between $1,000 and $5,000, or a jail term of up to six months.

The man will also be investigated for dangerous driving causing hurt.

Calista Wong is a journalist covering breaking news and current affairs at The Straits Times. She has a special interest in lifestyle and environment-related news.