Van driver who ran over cyclist in fatal case convicted of downgraded charge

A van driver in Singapore has been convicted of a lesser charge after running over a cyclist, an incident initially investigated as attempted murder. Toh Sze Ee, 51, was found guilty of voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapon, namely the van he was driving.

The court rejected Toh's defense that he had briefly fallen asleep at the wheel and had no intention of hitting the victim, 32-year-old Hossen Selim, a Bangladeshi national. Justice Andre Maniam determined that Toh had a motive to harm Mr. Selim, stemming from fears of implication after Mr. Selim's arrest by Singapore Customs in connection with contraband cigarettes.

The case originated from an incident on March 16, 2023, in Kaki Bukit Avenue 5. Toh had arranged to meet Mr. Selim, with whom he had dealings in contraband cigarettes. During the meeting, Toh drove his van and struck Mr. Selim, who was on a bicycle. Collision footage was captured by multiple vehicles.

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the central issue in the case was whether Toh had voluntarily hit the victim or had fallen asleep seconds before the collision.

Following the incident, Toh contacted an associate before driving to an abandoned warehouse to dispose of contraband cigarettes. He then abandoned his van nearby. Mr. Selim sustained severe injuries, fell into a coma, and was later repatriated to Bangladesh, where he died in February 2025.

While the case proceeded to trial on an attempted murder charge, the prosecution later amended it to voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means. Toh did not object to this amendment. Attempted murder carries a potential life sentence or up to 20 years imprisonment, while the amended charge is punishable by life imprisonment or up to 15 years, along with caning and a fine, though Toh is exempt from caning due to his age.

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the prosecution submitted at the closing submission stage that the charge should be amended to voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.