Mother fined for allowing underaged teen to drive, killing three

SEREMBAN: A mother who allowed her underage son to drive her car, which later got into an accident claiming three lives, was fined RM1,500 by the Magistrate’s Court here.

Magistrate Nurul Azuin Mohd Talhah also ordered 40-year-old Nur Farahidayah A Rahman to be jailed for three months in the event she was unable to pay the fine.

“After considering the guilty plea by the accused, mitigating factors and submissions by parties and the aggravating factors, the court hereby fines the accused RM1,500 in default three months jail,” ruled Nurul Azuin.

Nur Farahidayah was charged with allowing her 17-year-old son to drive her car along Jalan Persiaran Senawang 1 intersection in Taman Matahari Heights around 8.30pm on March 6 last year.

She was charged under Section 39(5) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a fine of up to RM2,000 or a jail term not exceeding six months or both upon conviction.

Her counsel, Johan Radzi, pleaded with the court to impose a minimum fine as she was a single mother and had to provide for her parents and six children, with four still in school.

He said the accused was self-employed and had been running a food business for the past 20 years.

Johan said the accused was also a first-time offender and had been cooperative with the authorities probing the case.

Deputy public prosecutor Khairunnisa Zainuddin asked the court to impose the maximum punishment as three teenagers lost their lives due to her negligence.

“Apart from the fatalities, the court also has to consider public interest when passing judgment,” she said.

According to the facts of the case, the accused’s son had run a red light and then crashed into two motorcycles.

Three teenagers aged 15, 16 and 17 were killed in the crash.

Her son had claimed trial when first charged with reckless driving on April 22 last year.

However, he changed his plea to guilty last December last year and is due for sentencing in May pending a social report from the Welfare Department.