A 53-year-old woman has been sentenced to one year of mandatory treatment after causing a car accident when she grabbed the steering wheel during an argument with her affair partner.
Zarinah Binte Hassim pleaded guilty to one count of reckless endangerment of others’ safety. The sentence was delivered at the State Courts on March 7, 2025.
The incident occurred on April 7, 2024, when Zarinah was traveling in a car driven by her affair partner, Ismail bin Hasan. According to court documents, around 11:00 PM while driving on Jurong West Avenue 2 toward the Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), Ismail asked Zarinah where she wanted to go.
Zarinah requested to meet Ismail’s wife, intending to reveal their affair. When Ismail refused and insisted on taking her home instead, Zarinah became angry.
As they traveled on the PIE toward the Kranji Expressway, near lamppost 17S5, Zarinah grabbed the steering wheel and pulled it forcefully toward herself. This caused Ismail to lose control of the vehicle, which veered left and flipped over.
Ismail managed to escape through the car door, but Zarinah was trapped inside until Civil Defence Force personnel rescued her at approximately 11:25 PM. Both individuals were transported to the National University Hospital.
Medical reports showed that Ismail suffered abrasions, lacerations, and bruises. Zarinah’s injuries were more serious, including a right hip posterior dislocation, left eyebrow arch fracture, nasal bone fracture, multiple facial abrasions, and lost upper front teeth.
On December 23, 2024, Zarinah’s lawyer informed the court that she had been suffering from bipolar disorder for a long time and had been receiving treatment. The lawyer requested that the judge allow Zarinah to undergo a mandatory treatment assessment. Following this assessment, the judge sentenced her to one year of mandatory treatment for her bipolar disorder.
