Aiyoh, standard advice in Singapore: If drink alcohol, take Grab/taxi lah! Don’t act hero. But some people just love to test the market, test the law, and test their luck.

Case in point: 48-year-old aunty Xie Lijun.

Gather around, take a cup of Kopi-O Gao, and let Uncle/Auntie break down this ultimate Fast & Furious road drama for you.

1. The “Happy Hour” Warm-Up

It all started around 6:00 PM along Amoy Street. Aunty met up with her friends at a nice restaurant. A few glasses of red wine down the hatch—feeling good, feeling fine! But one venue wasn’t enough. They decided to chiong to a nearby bar to continue drinking until the early hours of the morning.

Now, normal logic dictates: 6pm to past midnight, mixed red wine and bar drinks = CALL A CAB.

Did she call Grab? No.
She decided to play taxi driver herself, got into her car, drove a friend home first, and then navigated toward her own place. Selfless friend service, but absolutely reckless driving decision.

2. Formula 1: CTE Expressway Edition

At around 1:03 AM along the CTE towards the SLE, Aunty transformed her car into a space shuttle. The speed limit on that stretch was 90 km/h, but police investigations found she was hitting speeds between 116 km/h and 125 km/h!

She was initially cruising in Lane 1, then swerved across two lanes into Lane 3. After travelling in Lane 3 for about 8 seconds—8 whole seconds to open her eyes and see what’s in front—she went straight into the back of a 39-year-old food delivery rider on a motor.

BANG!

The impact was so horrific the poor rider was flung into the air, slammed heavily onto her car bonnet, and rolled onto the tarmac. To make matters worse, her car didn’t stop immediately; it kept moving forward, dragging the motorcycle along the expressway like an empty tin can.

3. The “Got Out, Take a Look, Then Zhao” Special

After dragging the motor, she finally stopped and got out to check on the rider.

Did she call 995 for an ambulance? No.
Did she call 999 for the police? No.

She probably panicked, went “Wah piang, die already!”, jumped straight back into her car, and FLED THE SCENE.

While zooming away, she phoned a female friend and panicked: “Alamak, I think I killed someone!” Her friend sensibly advised her: “Oi! Quickly call the police!”

But Aunty still didn’t call. She drove all the way back to her HDB carpark first. Only after parking her car safely did she finally dial the police. But guess what? By the time she made up her mind, our Traffic Police (TP) were already waiting for her right there at her carpark to invite her for lim kopi.

When tested, her blood alcohol level was way over the legal limit.

4. The Sad Reality for the Rider

While Aunty was playing hit-and-run, the poor food delivery rider was rushed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital in critical condition. The injuries were scary:

• Severe brain injuries (left with intermittent chronic headaches & cognitive impairment)

• Fractured skull and facial bones

• 8 broken ribs and a broken sternum

• Fractures in two parts of his spine, pelvis, left wrist, and right foot

• Both lungs bruised with internal bleeding/air accumulation

• 588 DAYS of medical leave (over 1.5 years of work lost!)

Total medical bills ran up to $41,341 (mostly covered by MediShield Life, MediSave, and insurance, with Aunty paying $30k compensation out of pocket). But no amount of money can easily fix that kind of lifelong pain.

5. The “Grand Prize” Verdict

On August 25, 2026, the court finally handed out her judgment. Facing 5 charges, she pleaded guilty to 4:

• 1 Year and 4 Months (16 months) in Jail
• S$6,000 Fine
• 7-Year Driving Disqualification (No driving until mid-2030s!)

6. Think She Is the Only One? Check Out Other “Hall of Shame” Cases

You think this aunty is an isolated case? No lah! Singapore courts are clamping down hard on drunk drivers:

• The Horrific Bukit Timah Case: A 46-year-old repeat offender drank, sped at 122km/h along Bukit Timah Road, and struck a 64-year-old pedestrian so violently the body was severed. Result: 11 years in jail, S$12,000 fine, and a 15-year driving ban.
• The S$17,000 Property Damage Serial Driver: Drank 4-5 glasses of beer, crashed into property, and tried to restart his car to escape before TP caught him. Result: 5 weeks in jail and a 4-year driving ban.
• Standard TP Roadblock Catch (First-Timer): Even if you hit nobody and just get caught at a roadblock over the limit, it’s an automatic S$2,000 to S$10,000 fine and minimum 2-year driving ban.

Offence Level	Mandatory Jail?	Minimum Driving Ban	Fine
First-Timer (No Hurt)	Up to 1 year	2 Years	S$2,000 – S$10,000
Second-Timer (Repeat)	MANDATORY (Up to 2 years)	5 Years	S$5,000 – S$20,000
Grievous Hurt / Death	MANDATORY (Up to 8–15 years)	10–15 Years or Lifetime	High Fines + Potential Caning

Moral of the Story:

Look at the damage: one poor food delivery rider’s life disrupted for over a year, and Aunty herself gets to spend 16 months eating free prison curry rice, lose $36,000+, and lose her driving license for 7 years.

If you drink, just hire a valet or book a Grab lah. Spend $30-$40 taxi fare, save $36,000 fine/compensation, save your license, and most importantly, don’t ruin someone else’s life.

Swee or not swee? Think before you turn the ignition key!