Indian driver jailed in Singapore for fatal crash that killed NUS law professor

A Singapore court on August 29 sentenced a 28-year-old Indian national to two years and one month in prison, along with a fine of SGD 2,000, for causing the death of a senior law professor from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in a devastating 2023 road crash.

The convict, Natarajan Mohanraj, a construction worker, was also barred from driving for life after pleading guilty to multiple charges, including causing death by driving without due care.

According to court documents, the accident took place on July 7, 2023, when Natarajan, distracted by his mobile phone while behind the wheel of a lorry, lost control of the vehicle. The lorry mounted the centre divider, ploughed through railings, uprooted two trees, and veered into oncoming traffic. It collided head-on with a car driven by Emeritus Professor Tan Yock Lin, 70, a distinguished academic at NUS.

The violent impact spun Tan’s car into a nearby van, which in turn struck a bus. The 28-year-old van driver suffered fractured ribs, while Tan was trapped in his mangled car for nearly an hour before rescuers could extricate him. He succumbed to multiple injuries later that day in hospital.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sunil Nair told the court the road had to be closed for nearly three hours to remove wreckage and debris.

Repeat offences despite revoked license

The case took on an aggravated dimension as Natarajan had a history of dangerous driving. In June 2023—just weeks before the fatal crash—traffic police had already ordered him to surrender his license by July 25. The accident occurred two weeks before that deadline.

Even after the fatal crash and the subsequent revocation of his licence, Natarajan brazenly re-offended. Court records showed that he drove another lorry in January and May 2024, once with the owner’s permission and once without. On both occasions, he was intercepted by traffic police.

The court’s ruling underscored the severity of Natarajan’s repeated disregard for road safety. His sentence, combined with a lifetime driving ban, reflects Singapore’s tough stance on reckless driving and its consequences.