View source for Lorry driver and cyclist road rage incident (2018)

On 22 December 2018, a lorry driver and a road cyclist got into a dispute at Pasir Ris. The video of the incident leading up to the argument went viral with some netizens supporting the cyclist while others supported the lorry driver.

==Details of incident==
[[File:ROADS.sg screen grab.jpg|thumb|''A screengrab from the viral video that had been uploaded onto ROADS.sg. Photo from The Straits Times.'']]
The incident took place at the junction of Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Pasir Ris Rise on 22 December 2018. According to video footage of the incident that had been uploaded onto ROADS.sg’s Facebook Page ([https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=236898637221786 FB video]), the cyclist was riding in the middle of the lane in front of the lorry. When the cyclist moved towards the left of the lane, he hit the side mirror of the lorry. The lorry driver then swerved the vehicle towards the cyclist, knocking him off his bike and onto the grass beside the road. The police arrived at the scene at 11.53 am but the lorry driver was no longer at the accident scene.<ref>Choo, Yun Ting. “Cyclist hits lorry's side mirror, gets knocked over in Pasir Ris”. ''The Straits Times.'' December 23, 2018. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/cyclist-hits-lorrys-side-mirror-gets-knocked-over-in-pasir-ris</ref> As of 4 June 2019, the video has been shared 29,141 times and viewed 3.1 million times on Facebook.<ref>Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/Roads.sg/videos/236898637221786/?v=236898637221786</ref> 


On 24 December 2018, a second video surfaced on the ROADS.sg Facebook page which showed the aftermath of the incident ([https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=236898637221786 FB video]). In the second video, the lorry driver was holding up what seemed to be his mobile phone which had been pointed towards the cyclist. The cyclist then snatched the mobile phone from the lorry driver. When the lorry driver extended his hand to ask for his mobile phone, the cyclist placed the mobile phone in the lorry driver’s shirt pocket instead.

==Responses==
Netizens had differing views as to which party was in the wrong. The Facebook video of the incident garnered approximately 12,000 comments where some netizens voiced their support for the cyclist while others took the side of the lorry driver. Most of the top comments came from netizens who were on the lorry driver’s side as they felt that the cyclist was in the wrong for not only hogging the road but also smashing the side mirror of the lorry.<ref>ROADS.sg. "Lorry driver GBD4011Y purposefully hit cyclist". ''Facebook.'' Accessed on 25 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=236898637221786</ref> 


On 23 December 2018, Malaysian songwriter Jordan Fong uploaded a parody music video he made of the incident on Facebook. The parody was based on Singaporean singer A-Do’s 他一定很爱你 (He must really love you), and was titled ‘他一定很生气 (He must be really pissed)’. ([https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2323919744561259 FB Video])

===Misidentified cyclist===
Following the incident, netizens attempted to identify the cyclist in the video. Many angry comments were wrongfully directed at Singaporean Peter Cheung. Netizens even left comments on his workplace's Facebook page, DDB Group Singapore, where they had voiced their displeasure at his alleged road misconduct.<ref>ROADS.sg. ''Facebook''. December 23, 2018. Accessed on 26 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/Roads.sg/posts/hi-all-the-cyclist-in-the-video-that-went-viral-is-not-my-colleague-peter-cheung/2274546199244437/</ref> 


Peter Cheung took to his Facebook to personally address the claims in a post dated 23 December 2018. He clarified that he had been wrongfully accused and expressed that he "would like the online harassment to stop”. He also added that he had filed a police harassment report and would refer anyone who continued to harass him to the relevant authorities.<ref>Peter Cheung. ''Facebook''. December 23, 2018. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/petercheung66/posts/10156961150099224</ref> DDB Group Singapore also released an official statement on Facebook in an attempt to clear the name of their employee.<ref>ROADS.sg. ''Facebook''. December 23, 2018. Accessed on 26 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.facebook.com/Roads.sg/posts/hi-all-the-cyclist-in-the-video-that-went-viral-is-not-my-colleague-peter-cheung/2274546199244437/</ref> 

==Further developments==
[[File:Teo Seng Tiong and Eric Cheung Hoyu.jpg|thumb|''Teo Seng Tiong (left) the lorry driver and Eric Cheung Hoyu (right) the identified cyclist. Photo from The Straits Times.'']]
On 24 December 2018, the Singapore Police Force stated that both parties involved have been arrested.<ref>“Cyclist and lorry driver in Pasir Ris accident arrested: Police”. ''Channel NewsAsia.'' December 24, 2018. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/cyclist-lorry-driver-side-mirror-pasir-ris-accident-arrested-11060018</ref> The lorry driver was arrested for rash riding while the cyclist was arrested for rash riding and mischief. The cyclist was identified to be British National Eric Cheung Hoyu and the lorry driver was identified to be Singaporean Teo Seng Tiong.<ref>Alkhatib, Shaffiq. “Cyclist involved in Pasir Ris altercation with lorry driver fined $2,800”. ''The Straits Times.'' April 12, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/cyclist-involved-in-pasir-ris-altercation-with-lorry-driver-fined-2800</ref> The lorry driver’s lorry was also impounded by the Singapore Traffic Police for further investigations.

===Teo Seng Tiong petition===
Following the news that Teo Seng Tiong’s lorry was impounded by the Singapore Traffic Police, a petition titled ‘Please return Mr Teo’s Lorry’ ([https://www.change.org/p/singapore-traffic-police-please-return-mr-teo-s-lorry-c304b94f-565a-46a6-a6e4-5d9d153eb36b official petition page]) was started by user An Average Poor Singaporean on the website ''Change.org'' on 17 March 2019''.'' The petition was directed at the Singapore Traffic Police. As of 4 June 2019, the petition has garnered 8,072 signatures.<ref>An Average Poor Singaporean. "Please return Mr Teo's Lorry". ''Change.org.'' Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.change.org/p/singapore-traffic-police-please-return-mr-teo-s-lorry-c304b94f-565a-46a6-a6e4-5d9d153eb36b</ref>


Although he did not need to pay for storage fees, Teo Seng Tiong commented that he had been adversely affected as the lorry was his source of income and he still had to service the lorry's instalment loan which came up to S$800 a month.<ref>Lim, Joyce. "Online petition asking for Traffic Police to return lorry involved in incident with cyclist gets over 3,000 signatures". ''The Straits Times''. March 21, 2019. Accessed on 25 June 2019.  Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/online-petition-asking-traffic-police-to-return-lorry-involved-in-incident</ref> In an interview with Mandarin newspaper Lianhe Wanbao, the lorry driver claimed that he was trying to overtake the cyclist when he knocked him over. He added that he had instinctively swerved to his left when he heard a sound as he thought that he might have hit the taxi on his right.<ref>Zhup, Tee. Choo, Yun Ting. “Cyclist, lorry driver involved in viral Pasir Ris altercation arrested”. ''The Straits Times.'' December 25, 2018. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/cyclist-lorry-driver-involved-viral-pasir-ris-altercation-arrested</ref>
==Court charges and sentence==
Lorry driver Teo Seng Tiong initially faced the following charges:<ref>Lum, Selina. “Cyclist and lorry driver in viral Pasir Ris altercation charged in court”. ''The Straits Times.'' January 16, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/cyclist-and-lorry-driver-in-viral-pasir-ris-altercation-charged-in-court</ref>

*causing hurt to others through negligent behaviour
*not making a police report within 24 hours of a car accident

According to an article by Lianhe Zaobao dated 16 January 2019, Teo Seng Tiong was ready to plead guilty to his charges.<ref>郭培贤, 罗妙婷. “脚踏车骑士和罗厘司机“互杠”案 两人今早被控”. ''Lianhe Zaobao.'' January 16, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/singapore/story20190116-924488</ref> However, Teo Seng Tiong changed his mind when the prosecution amended his initial charge to "acting rashly so as to cause hurt" which is a more grave offence.<ref>Lum, Selina. “Prosecution seeks jail term for lorry driver involved in Pasir Ris altercation with cyclist”. ''The Straits Times.'' March 14, 2019. Accessed on 25 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/prosecution-seeks-jail-term-for-lorry-driver-in-pasir-ris-altercation</ref> As such, he would be liable to serve a minimum of two weeks in jail.


Cyclist Eric Cheung Hoyu faced the following charges:<ref>Lum, Selina. “Cyclist and lorry driver in viral Pasir Ris altercation charged in court”. ''The Straits Times.'' January 16, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/cyclist-and-lorry-driver-in-viral-pasir-ris-altercation-charged-in-court</ref>

*committing mischief by knocking off the side mirror of Teo Seng Tiong’s lorry with his hand, causing damage of S$15.
*breaching traffic rules by riding his bicycle in the middle of the leftmost lane, instead of keeping to the far left edge of the road, thereby causing obstruction to faster-moving vehicles.

On 28 April 2019, District Judge Marvin Bay ruled that Eric Cheung Hoyu was guilty of the two charges and he was fined SGD$ 2,800 for his mistakes.<ref>Alkhatib, Shaffiq. “Cyclist involved in Pasir Ris altercation with lorry driver fined $2,800”. ''The Straits Times.'' April 12, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/cyclist-involved-in-pasir-ris-altercation-with-lorry-driver-fined-2800</ref> Regarding the ruling, the judge noted that there were “elements of road rage” in Eric Cheung Hoyu’s behaviour but in his case “there was no injury caused to the lorry driver”. However, he noted that it was “inherently dangerous” for him to have ridden in the middle of the road.<ref>Elangovan, Navene. “S$2,800 fine for cyclist who tangled with lorry driver in Pasir Ris road-rage incident”. ''TodayOnline.'' April 12, 2019. Accessed on 4 June 2019. Retrieved from: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/s2800-fine-cyclist-who-tangled-lorry-driver-pasir-ris-road-rage-incident</ref>

==References / Citations==
[[Category:Newsworthy Incidents]]
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