A 24-year-old man was sentenced to 14 weeks and 10 days in prison for assaulting a bus driver and trying to steer a bus into a tree after his friend changed their meeting location.
Cheng Yuan Kang faced five charges at the State Courts on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, including criminal intimidation and reckless endangerment. He admitted to three charges, with the remaining counts considered during sentencing.
The incident occurred on January 6, 2025, when Cheng and his mother boarded bus 969 to visit a car exhibition in Tampines. During the journey, Cheng’s female friend “Kathy” called his mother to change their meeting point from the exhibition entrance to a booth inside.
This change sparked Cheng’s anger. At around 9:15 AM, as the bus traveled on Seletar Expressway near Punggol Road, Cheng walked to the front of the bus and punched the 50-year-old driver in the face three times.
When the driver explained he couldn’t stop on the expressway but would stop at the next bus stop, Cheng grabbed the steering wheel with both hands and tried to change the bus’s direction. He attempted to crash the bus into a tree, putting all passengers and other road users at risk.
The driver managed to push him away with one hand, causing the bus to sway but preventing a crash. Cheng then walked to the back of the bus, took out the emergency hammer, and broke a window. He warned passengers not to call the police.
Cheng also physically attacked his mother with punches and kicks before returning to the front of the bus and threatening the driver, saying, “Let me alight, or I will kill you.”
After stopping at the next bus stop, the driver reported the incident, and Cheng got off with all other passengers. The driver later sought treatment at Sengkang General Hospital’s emergency department and was diagnosed with a contusion on his left temporal area.
The judge noted that Cheng has an intellectual disability that makes controlling his emotions difficult. However, doctors determined he was aware of his actions and could control himself. Since his condition wasn’t directly linked to his crimes, the judge focused on deterrence to protect public safety.
Cheng had a history of harassment. In April 2023, he obtained contact information from a female sales representative at a car exhibition and began following her social media accounts. Six months later, when she rejected his request for a photo together, he sent threatening emails about shooting her and messages to the exhibition’s social media account, claiming he would harm people with a kitchen knife.
