Two years after test drive that left
salesgirl passenger dead
Tuesday April 24, 2007
Ansley Ng
[email protected]
AFTER a protracted investigation that took almost two years, the
youth blamed for causing the death of a car salesgirl was finally
charged in court yesterday with reckless driving.
Regan Lee Da Wen, 26, was accused of causing the death of Ms He
Xueli, 22, by driving a Mazda MX-5 convertible dangerously during a
test drive in October 2005.
Minutes after taking the wheel, Lee lost control of the $110,000
silver sports car along Upper Paya Lebar Road. The vehicle flew
over the road divider and crashed head-on with a BMW before
flipping over and smashing into a van in another lane.
Lee, a warehouse supervisor, reportedly drives a Fiat Punto HGT a
high-performance car that was a gift from his father and had no
intention of buying the Mazda.
He escaped unhurt in the accident but Ms He the only child of an
odd-job labourer and a bakery assistant died in hospital.
Lee, who was Ms He's last customer for the day, was later arrested
but released on $10,000 bail.
The five BMW passengers were taken to hospital with breathing
difficulties and chest pains, while the van's occupants, a couple,
escaped unscathed.
Lee, who will appear in court on June 18 for a
pre-trial conference, faces a maximum five-year jail term if found
guilty. Yesterday, his lawyer Julian Tay said his client was
"haunted" by the accident.
Earlier this month, the youth incurred
the rage of Netizens and car enthusiasts after he wrote in a
motoring forum that he was shopping for sports cars and could not
decide between a Subaru WRX and a Volkswagen Golf GTI. Many were
angry that he was allowed to drive while investigations were
ongoing.
Yesterday, Lee's indictment sparked a host of comments on several
Internet forums.
"He is boasting about which sports car to buy ... Does he look like
he has been 'haunted'?" asked Flyer_king, in a sammyboy.com
post.
Aside from the criminal charge, Lee also faces civil proceedings
brought against him by other parties in the accident. According to
lawyer Daniel Goh, who is acting for the driver of the BMW, his
client is suing Lee for damage caused to the former's car as well
as injuries suffered by those in it.
9 more days..
