Former actor Edmund Chen gets five-day jail term cut to one day on appeal
Edmund Chen arrives at the High Court on Jul 20, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)
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SINGAPORE: Former local actor Edmund Chen on Monday (Jul 20) had his five-day jail term for injuring a motorcyclist in a collision cut to one day after a partially successful appeal.
The five-year driving ban still stands.
Chen, named in court papers as Tan Kai Yuan, had slowed down abruptly on an expressway such that a motorcyclist collided with him, sustaining fractures.
Chen switched lawyers and launched the appeal after the judge imposed a jail term as he did not agree with a fine as sought by both the prosecution and defence.
The lower court judge said there was a “high degree of carelessness” and a sustained period of inattention in Chen’s actions, and that he was “deliberately cavalier about certain mitigable risks”.
Chen, a 64-year-old Singaporean, had pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle without reasonable consideration for other road users, resulting in grievous hurt.
THE CASE
He had driven along Ayer Rajah Expressway towards the direction of Central Expressway at about noon on Mar 4, 2025.
He was on lane 4 of the four-lane road and intended to drive towards an expressway via lanes 1 and 2 but did not move into the correct lanes in time.
By the time he realised this, he was already headed towards a split road leading to Keppel Road.
He tried to enter the second lane by braking abruptly such that his car slowed down and almost came to a complete stop.
The victim, a 21-year-old motorcyclist, was in the fourth lane behind Chen. He was unable to swerve to avoid Chen’s car and collided with the rear left portion of the vehicle.
When the collision occurred, Chen was filtering across the third lane and across the white chevron markings, which is a breach of traffic regulations. After the accident, he stopped his car and helped the victim, who was taken to hospital.
As a result of the accident, the motorcyclist’s front headlamp was dislodged and cracked, and the right side of his motorcycle was also scratched.
The victim sustained multiple fractures in his right hand and wrist and underwent surgery. He was given 99 days’ hospitalisation leave but suffered no permanent injury.
For driving without due consideration for other road users, resulting in grievous hurt, he could have been jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
Source: CNA/ll(ss)
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