Woman who drove off with cyclist on car gets short detention order

Judge notes other incidents in her driving history, imposes 12-month disqualification

- Samuel Devaraj

A driver who was embroiled in an altercation with a cyclist in East Coast Road and then drove off with the latter clinging to the bonnet of her car was sentenced to a three-day short detention order on Dec 2.

Elaine Michele Ow, 50, a private chef and cooking instructor, had earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of committing a rash act to endanger the personal safety of others for her role in the incident, which was caught on a video that was widely shared.

The feud between the two women occurred after 3pm on June 2, 2023, and started after the cyclist, Nicolette Tan Shi-en, felt that Ow, who was on her way to 12 Katong shopping mall to teach a cooking class at 3.30pm, was too close to her while they were turning into East Coast Road from Still Road South.

Following a verbal exchange, Tan jumped onto the bonnet of Ow's car, before Ow drove about 100m at a speed of around 20kmh.

Apart from the short detention order, which entails jail time but no criminal record post-release, Ow will be disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for 12 months from the date of her release.