Domestic worker charged over River Valley accident that led to death of four-year-old

A 32-year-old domestic worker, Lilyana Eva, has been charged with causing grievous hurt by performing a rash act in connection with the fatal accident that led to the death of four-year-old Zara Mei Orlic.

Eva, who was responsible for the child’s care, was formally charged on 6 November 2024. If convicted, she could face up to four years in prison, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. The court will resume proceedings on 13 November, and it is reported that Eva is seeking legal representation.

According to court documents, the charge against Eva stems from an alleged failure to ensure Zara’s safety while crossing the road on Institution Hill in River Valley, Singapore.

Eva was reportedly bringing Zara and her younger sister home on 23 January 2024, when she attempted to cross the road at an unsignaled junction without holding Zara’s hand. As a result, Zara ran across the street unsupervised and was struck by an oncoming vehicle, causing severe injuries.

The tragic accident took place at around 1:30 p.m. on that day. Zara was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, but she did not survive. A coroner’s inquiry conducted on 12 July determined that Zara succumbed to head injuries sustained during the collision, which also involved injuries to her leg and head after the vehicle reportedly ran over her.

The investigation into the incident brought additional details to light. During the coroner’s hearing, it was revealed that Eva was only a few steps away from Zara when the accident occurred.

She was reportedly carrying both children’s school bags and holding the hand of Zara’s younger sister at the time.

According to Eva, she would typically hold Zara’s hand while crossing roads but was uncertain why she did not do so on this particular day.

Local media reported that Eva expressed that she had taught Zara road safety practices, and Zara would often walk independently.

However, she admitted that her employers had instructed her to hold Zara’s hand when crossing roads. Eva also clarified that she was not using any device, such as a phone, during the incident.

It has been reported that the domestic worker saw the approaching car but was unable to react in time to prevent the collision. After the accident, Eva reportedly shouted at the vehicle to stop and immediately ran to assist Zara, who was lying motionless on the road with visible injuries.

The driver of the vehicle involved, a 40-year-old Australian woman, testified at the coroner’s hearing that she felt an impact and noticed through her rearview mirror that a child had been struck.

She immediately stopped and rendered assistance to Zara until emergency services arrived. The Singapore Traffic Police’s investigation into the accident found that the driver was not speeding at the time and that Zara had appeared suddenly in the vehicle’s in-camera footage, making it difficult for the driver to avoid the collision.

During the coroner’s inquest, Traffic Police Station Inspector Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman, noted that when the collision occurred, the car was not travelling at a fast speed.

The speed limit in Singapore is 50 km/h unless stated otherwise, and there were no speed limits specified on the stretch of road other than warning signs to slow down, which typically reduce the speed limit to 40 km/h. However, local media did not report the car’s specific speed.

A car travelling at 50 km/h requires a stopping distance of 20 meters.

The coroner’s findings attributed Zara’s sudden appearance in the driver’s path to her diminutive height of approximately 100 cm, which made her challenging to spot from the vehicle’s perspective.

The driver’s slow speed was also noted, but the brief appearance of Zara just before the impact limited the time for reaction.

According to the Straits Times, the domestic worker was still working for the family back in June following the accident.

TOC’s correspondent visited the location earlier and noted that there had been no modification of the road.

Ms Joan Pereira, the Member of Parliament for the area, was earlier quoted by TODAY in its report about the fatal accident, as saying that she has relayed feedback and suggestions from residents, who have asked for speed humps or regulating strips along the stretch of road, to the authorities.

“Given that the topography of River Valley Road is winding in nature, over the years the LTA [Land Transport Authority] has taken action to install additional traffic lights at several spots to deal with the blind spots,” she said.

“For some of the winding and sloping roads like Institution Hill that branch out from River Valley Road, the authorities have been assessing the feasibility of installing speed humps or regulating strips.”