Daily Lessons from Life 18 March 2012 - Suspect in Budget Terminal taxi crash charged

"Suspect in Budget Terminal taxi crash charged - CNA 18 March 2012

SINGAPORE: A 30-year-old male Chinese national has been charged with voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery, in connection with the death of a cleaner at Budget Terminal.

Police said on Sunday that the charge was read to the suspect in hospital, where he is warded.

If convicted, he can be sentenced to between five years and 20 years in jail and at least 12 strokes of the cane.

The suspect, who is a technician, is being investigated in connection with the death of 34-year-old Chandra Mogan on Saturday morning.

Mr Mogan died after he was hit by a taxi, allegedly driven by the suspect.

Police investigations into the death allegedly caused by the suspect are ongoing.

Police said more charges are expected to be tendered against the suspect for this offence."

He allegedly assaulted the taxi driver and then took over the wheels after the taxi driver fled from his taxi and the beating given by this Chinese National. It was too unreal and comical if not for the death of a honest working father with 4 kids!

Lessons for me are:

1. while the reasons for the Chinese National who has gone bersek are still unknown, some speculations were he was rushing to catch a flight home. It would be doubly tragic if he was rushing home to visit a dying parent or child!;

2. hopefully that was not the case and that he merely lost his head for rushing to catch a flight. In hindsight, even if he had missed the flight, it is trivial in relation to the disaster he found himself in now! A life was lost needlessly. IF only he knew, surely he would not have rushed.

3. but then there is another theory, that he could be of unsound mind judging from the initial good nature exchange as described by the taxi driver and him. He suddenly turn frantics and asked why the taxi driver had hidden his luaggages and started assaulting the taxi driver!

A tragedy whenever the reasons. May the dead rest in peace.