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SINGAPORE – A platoon commander who was in a Bionix infantry fighting vehicle that backed up and rode a Land Rover, killing the driver, told a district court on Friday (March 19) that he did not expect any other vehicles in the same road during military service. exercise on November 3, 2018.
Nathaniel Ho, who was in national service at the time, also testified that before the Bionix reversed, there was no communication between him and the Land Rover vehicle commander, Ong Lin Jie.
Ong, now 30, had ordered the driver of the Land Rover, another full-time national serviceman, Corporal First Class (CFC) Liu Kai, 22, to pass the Bionix shortly before the tragedy struck. CFC Liu was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.35 am that day.
On taking the stand on the second day of Ong’s trial, Mr. Ho told the court that the communication equipment was working properly that day and that he had checked it the night before.
Ong is accused of acting recklessly by failing to maintain a safe distance of 30 m between the Land Rover and the Bionix, ordering CFC Liu to pass him even though it was not safe to do so, and without first establishing communication with the other vehicle.
He has since been suspended from service.
At the time of the incident, Ong, who held the rank of Captain, was a platoon trainer at the Armor Unit Training Center of the Armor Training Institute.
He was responsible for the safety of CFC Liu, the only other person in the Land Rover that day.
The tragedy occurred during a company exercise by the 42nd Singapore Armored Regiment Battalion on November 3, 2018.
Shortly before 10 a.m. M., Ong and CFC Liu stopped about 30 m behind the Bionix at a junction. Then, Ong ordered CFC Liu to pass him on his left.
CFC Liu heard gunshots and stopped 16 to 18 meters behind the Bionix, which reversed and got into the driver’s side of the Land Rover, pinning him to his seat. He died of traumatic asphyxia.
On Friday, Ho testified that he was in the Bionix with three soldiers when he saw similar armored vehicles on the opposite side in the exercise.
He then performed a “rescue drill” to get his Bionix out of the “enemy’s line of sight.” Mr. Ho said he told one of his men to shoot and gave him the order to reverse the Bionix.
He later heard one of his men “repeatedly” and “frantically” yell “stop”.
Ho said that he “instinctively” yelled at the Bionix to stop, but felt it lean forward seconds later before it stopped.
He told the court that he came out of a hatch and saw that he had ridden a Land Rover.
The trial continues.
If convicted of committing the reckless act, Ong can be imprisoned for up to five years and fined.
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