KUCHING: A 28-year-old school bus driver was fined RM4,000 in default one month in jail after he pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of careless driving resulting in the death of a motorcyclist about two years ago.
Chung Teck Choi from Jalan Puncak Borneo appeared before Magistrate Maris Agan who convicted him under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
The original charge comes under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act which carries not less than two years but not more than 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of not less than RM5,000 and not more than RM20,000 upon conviction.
Upon the prosecution’s request, the magistrate agreed to reduce the original charge to the alternative charge.
Careless driving carries a maximum RM10,000 fine and a jail sentence not exceeding 12 months upon conviction.
Maris made the decision after taking into consideration Chung’s mitigation pleas submitted through his defence lawyer Counsel Sim Thong Poh.
Sim submitted that Chung was the sole breadwinner of the family and he needed to feed his family members as his wife was not working.
Besides that, the couple had a five-month-old daughter and Chung had also given full cooperation to the police during investigation, the lawyer said.
It was learnt that Chung even sent the deceased to hospital himself.
He also lodged a police report about the incident shortly after it occurred.
The court was told that the van had been sent to a workshop for repair and some technical problems occurred before the incident.
Chung admitted he had hit a motorcyclist at Jalan Puncak Borneo at about 4.30pm on June 14, 2009.
He settled the fine.
Inspector Rogis Baker prosecuted.