School Officer Gets 10‑Day Jail for Car Chaos in Marine Parade
In a dramatic turn of events, Lim Soon Wai, 52, the vice‑principal of Beatty Secondary School, was handed a 10‑day jail sentence after his vehicle decided to take the market as a new parade venue.
What Went Wrong?
It all started on a sunny day at the Marine Terrace Market in Marine Parade. Lim tried reversing his car into a parking spot at Block 50A, but the car hit the curb and lost control. He gasped, shifted to forward, but the car still surged, crashing straight into a florist stall. The accident left two women and a man at the heart of the market in pain.
The Impact
- Man, 66: Thrown onto his back, his left foot crushed and his middle toe amputated.
- Woman, 58: Fractured ankle, injured shoulder, unconscious.
- Woman, 33: Giddy wobbles, minor abrasion on a finger.
All three were whisked off to Changi General Hospital for treatment.
Legal Wrangle
The Deputy Public Prosecutor, Angela Ang highlighted that the car had no mechanical faults—just a bit of reckless driving. The weather? Sunny. Traffic? Light. So all that was left to blame was Lim’s glitch in judgment.
Under Singapore law, negligent driving that causes grievous harm can rack up up to two years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Our school should not let this kind of conduct slip by – The Ministry of Education is taking the matter seriously and will launch a full internal review.
What Happens Next?
Lim lost his driving licence for 2½ years, and he is already facing a brief but unmistakable prison stint. It serves as a stark reminder that even tiny miscalculations can lead to major consequences.
As for the students of Beatty Secondary? They’ll soon have another reason to appreciate the first line of safety — that teachers deserve to be taught to drive responsibly as much as they teach core subjects.
