Woman linked to fatal Tanjong Pagar crash charged with dangerous driving, expected to plead guilty

SINGAPORE – A woman linked to the fiery car crash that killed five men in Tanjong Pagar on Feb 13, 2021, faces a dangerous driving charge.

Phoo Yi Lin, 26, had driven the white BMW M4 before alighting from the vehicle.

Mr Jonathan Long Junwei, 29, the owner of the car, then took the wheel.

Mr Long had clocked speeds of up to 182kmh shortly before the car ploughed into the pillar of a shophouse and burst into flames at around 5.40am that day.

Mr Long and his four passengers – Mr Wilson Teo Qi Xiang, 26; Mr Elvin Tan Yong Hao, 28; Mr Eugene Yap Zheng Min, 29; and Mr Gary Wong Hong Chieh, 29 – were killed in the crash.

According to court documents, Phoo was allegedly driving the car in Tanjong Pagar Road at a speed of 109kmh at around 5.35am that day. The speed limit was 50kmh.

On Thursday, the Malaysian woman applied to leave Singapore but the court rejected her request.

She was charged in early March and is expected to plead guilty on April 3.

During the coroner’s inquiry into the men’s deaths, Traffic Police investigator Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman had said that shortly before the tragedy, Mr Long and his friends were at a Chinese New Year gathering in Ang Mo Kio where they had alcoholic drinks.

They then left for Hong Jja Jang restaurant in Tanjong Pagar Road, where they continued drinking.

The eatery was run by Mr Park Se Jin, whose age was not mentioned in court.

Senior Staff Sergeant Firdaus added that witnesses said Mr Long then showed his new BMW to his friends.

The group took turns at the wheel, each driving once around the Tanjong Pagar area.