YOU COULD FACE SAME PENALTY

[Ccssgm]

IF you hit someone on the road and flee from the scene of the accident, you will get into trouble with the law.

 

But what if you knock down an animal?

 

Well, don't think you can just drive off.

 

Be it a person or an animal, the same law applies.

 

Under the Road Traffic Act, if you are involved in an accident where a person or an animal is injured, you have to stop your vehicle and help the victims.

 

If not, you can face a fine up to $3,000 or be jailed up to a year.

 

For a subsequent conviction, you can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed up to two years.

 

Lawyer Luke Lee told The New Paper: 'Animals are protected under the same law as humans.'

 

And those who injure an animal in a hit-and-run case face the same penalties if the law is violated, he added.

 

Ms Deirdre Moss, executive officer of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), said: 'Most people, unfortunately, do not think that such cases are important just because (the victim) is an animal.'

 

Student Andrew Teo's dog was one such victim.

 

On 4 Jun, the 23-year-old took his 2-year-old miniature schnauzer, Vodka, for their usual evening walk.

 

At 9.45pm, they were about to cross Choa Chu Kang Crescent when a white van sped towards them.

 

Mr Teo said he was standing on the pavement while Vodka, who was on a leash, was already on the road.

 

On seeing the van, Mr Teo tried to pull the dog back, but Vodka slipped out of his collar and dashed across the road.

 

It was hit by the van and blood oozed from its right ear and nostrils.

 

Mr Teo saw the van had stopped a few metres away and two men came out. Mr Teo said that when they saw him, they quickly got back into the van and allegedly drove off.

 

But he managed to take down its licence plate number.

 

Three passers-by, two of whom are Mr Teo's neighbours, helped him move Vodka onto the pavement.

 

He said: 'By that time, I knew Vodka was dead. His body was intact, but you could feel that his skull had been crushed.'

 

Mr Teo took the dog to its vet to get a death certificate and then went to a police station to make a report.

 

A police spokesman confirmed Mr Teo's report and said they are investigating the accident, which happened between Block 662 and Block 691A at Choa Chu Kang Crescent.

 

The road has no pedestrian crossings or traffic lights, but Mr Teo and other residents said that it has low traffic even during the day.

 

The vet's medical report declared Vodka dead on arrival. It suffered severe trauma to the head and chest.

 

Mr Teo is upset that the van occupants did not stop to help and feels they must take responsibility and be punished accordingly.

 

AWARENESS NEEDED

 

Motorist William Neo, 28, was unaware that the penalty for hit-and-run cases is the same for both humans and animals.

 

The project coordinator feels that motorists need to be better educated on road rules.

 

He said: 'Most people would probably think hitting an animal is much less serious than hitting a person.

 

'Informing motorists of the consequences would make them think twice about driving off after hitting an animal.'

 

The SPCA said that when pets are injured in road accidents, the owners should alert the SPCA and try to move the animals to the side of the road.

 

But those with little experience in handling animals should not try to pick them up. They should wait for SPCA staff members to arrive, while alerting motorists to slow down and drive cautiously - the traffic police will generally assist in this area.

 

DRIVE CAREFULLY

[Qpik]

u need to be an to drive on spore road

Edited June 14, 2008 by Qpik

[Ccssgm]

Lim Chu Kang sometime got Snake on the road ,

Will u STOP your vehicle when u hit the Snake ?

[Qpik]

lidat hor...those MIG must stop more than me cos they use there more than me. so far i kanna more potholes than snakes

 

as for me kana a snake, i observed that they are generally ok, still can slither off.

[Ccssgm]

If Cobra It didn't Die On the Spot

U will will Fast

[Bluemice]

Mr Teo said he was standing on the pavement while Vodka, who was on a leash, was already on the road.

 

On seeing the van, Mr Teo tried to pull the dog back, but Vodka slipped out of his collar and dashed across the road.

 

hmm... i know that stretch of road well ... anyway, may i know how long is a dog's leash ??

and is it possible that a properly fastened dog to escape from its leash ? pardon me as i m not a dog owner.

 

mice

[Rncw]

how about rodents, like rats, and insects? snakes?

 

 

anyway, i think if the van driver stop and come out to look see look see, but don't go away, then they're ok, or exchange details. i believe the drive cannot be faulted for running over the dog as it's the main responsibility of the owner. as the report stated.."Vodka slipped out of his collar and dashed across the road"

[Ccssgm]

Dog Wan to Die,Cannot Be help also Same as Human

[Silver_z]

Not only should the van driver get punished, the owner should be punish for negligence.

[Friendstar]

Andrew teo indirectly caused his dog's death

 

how can a dog slipped out of the collar...

 

 

d@mn him... i hate to see animals die due to human's negligence/recklessness.

[Genie47]

What?! Animals got rights that are equal with human rights?! What is this judge smoking?

 

If animals have equal rights as humans, we might as all be vegetarians. This is stupid. Let me repeat animals have no rights that are equal to humans. The only thing is that we have to be responsible for animals.

 

Ridiculous! Might as well ask those animal do-gooders to come down to my animal lab, free all the Franken-rabbits and burn my facility down.

[Genie47]

This is the same stupid judiciary we have here. See the see-sawing that we are seeing when it comes to personal responsibility.-

 

Maid run away, owner to blame. Owner is responsible. Owner is fined.

 

Savage dog run off, attack kids chewing off fingers and limbs, Owner is responsible. Owner is fined. Dog is put down.

 

Dog runs off from owners leash. Runs into an incoming car. Driver of car is responsible. Owner is fined.

[Seaweed]

This is """CRAZY"""..

 

"""The road has no pedestrian crossings or traffic lights"""

So Vodka should also be slap with a fine for illegal crossing !!!! Can the relevant authority issue a summon and ask Mr Teo to pass to Vodka !!!

 

"""They should wait for SPCA staff members to arrive, while alerting motorists to slow down and drive cautiously"""

Does these people know that it is very dangerous to be stationary in a moving traffic....Imagine U hit a dog on CTE in the middle lane...U stop...in the middle and try divert traffic ??? Maybe a lorry will come crashing on you....Remember lots are kill even when they are on the road shoulder...Or we call "999" and tell them got injury then the "WRX" come and cordon the road ??? Then u get summon for failure to pay due attention on the road ????

 

To the animal lovers. I am not against the animal. But between a human life and a animal. I think my choice is still to save the human....This thing is all too crazy....Should not make it to the news at all...

[Scion]

cham liao lah!!

 

i drove and squashed over some xiao qiang before...

[Contax]

Radiculous law.

May I know how do I render any assistance if it's a stray cat/dog after a vehicle has overrun it ?

Call 911 and tell the phone operator " Hello , pls send anyone because some vehicles has knock down a dog and carcass are now all over the road " ?? and then the police will come and pitch a blue tent and start taking statement ?

 

Don't get me wrong , I'll really will like to help if there is sufficient information for us motorist to tap but seems it isn't sufficient enough .

[Genie47]

The only best assistance you can offer to an animal that you have run over is to stop, drag the animal to the side of the road, proceed to take out your steering wheel lock and finish what you have accidently done.

 

Same reason why they put that horse to sleep years back when it panicked and ran out of it's transportation stall and was rammed by a car along Bt Timah Road when the Turf Club was still there. What? Put the animal through ICU so that it can die several days later after all that effort and money into trying to save it?

Edited June 14, 2008 by Genie47

[David]

One word - Ignorant.

 

Lets not get overboard with things like cockcroach or snakes or snails, unless you can claim ownership to them. Even if no ownership and if you are involved in a accident that causes a dog or a cat dead on the road, please take up the responsibility to call the Primary Production(I think) to help in removing the carcass.

 

For this case, regardless of who is at fault, the van driver ought to stop and see if any assistance is needed. Not simply driving away.

[Contax]

...I maybe only dragging the dog head or carrying some of it's intestine or left over brain only... oh , not to mention plenty of blood stain on my car and can I claim insurance for the damage to my vehicles plus the car wash at the petrol kiosk ?