2 years’ jail for man whose car hit auxiliary cop at Woodlands Checkpoint, causing spinal fracture

SINGAPORE – A motorist driving his car at Woodlands Checkpoint on Sept 26, 2025, failed to comply with the instructions of two auxiliary policemen, and the vehicle struck one of them.

The officer fell onto the road and suffered a fracture to the base of his spine.

Instead of stopping to help him, Suriya Ganisan, 28, a Malaysian, continued driving towards Malaysia but was told to turn around when he reached the Customs gantries there.

He complied, and the Singapore authorities arrested him soon after.

On Aug 25, Suriya, who is on remand, was sentenced to two years’ jail and banned from driving any motor vehicle in Singapore for eight years from his release date.

Court documents stated that the injured officer was taken to Woodlands Hospital and placed on hospitalisation leave for 46 days.

Suriya pleaded guilty in July to one count each of causing grievous hurt to the auxiliary policeman by driving in a dangerous manner, failing to render assistance to him and failing to comply with directions from the officer’s colleague.

Shortly before the accident, Suriya had arrived at Woodlands Checkpoint around 3pm on Sept 26, 2025.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Darren Ang told the court that each of the four lanes had an overhead road sign directing motorists to the lane to use based on the vehicles they were driving or riding.

The first lane was for buses, vans and other heavy vehicles. The second and third lanes were for cars and other “light” vehicles. The fourth lane was for motorcyclists.

There were long lines of vehicles in the second and third lanes when Suriya arrived at the checkpoint.

But the first lane was largely clear.

After waiting briefly in the second lane, he drove his car into the first lane at a sharp angle.

He continued driving in the first lane until auxiliary police officer (APO) Kenny Goh approached the vehicle and stood in front of it.

The officer told Suriya to make a U-turn and rejoin the queue in either the second or third lane.

Instead of complying, Suriya drove towards the officer’s left, and APO Muhamad Irzan Masrabi gestured for him to stop.

Suriya then swerved into the second lane and continued accelerating.

His car struck Irzan’s abdomen, causing the officer to fall and fracture a bone at the base of his spine.

Suriya did not stop to help him and continued driving towards Malaysia.

But before entering the Customs gantries there, a Malaysian police officer told him to drive back to Singapore.

Suriya did as he was told, and Singapore’s Traffic Police officers arrested him.