An Indian-origin Adelaide taxi driver, Bahal Singh Chahal, has been fined $2,100 and disqualified from driving for 41 days after pleading guilty to a charge of aggravated due care following an incident in which a four-year-old boy was injured.
The incident occurred on 28 July last year in Plympton Park when Chahal made a right-hand turn into a quiet street and struck the child, who was riding his bike behind his father.
The boy was rushed to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, the SA Ambulance Service confirmed to media.
CCTV footage aired by 7 News showed the child following his father across the street before the collision. The father immediately rushed to assist his son, who was taken to hospital and spent eight days receiving treatment.
At a court hearing in November 2024, it is reported that Chahal initially denied the charge but later reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to the lesser offence of aggravated due care, resulting in the original charge being dropped.
It is reported that the defence counsel described the incident as a tragic accident and told the court the driver was deeply upset by what happened.
“This could happen to anyone. We’re dealing with a man who is terribly emotional about this whole matter,” he told the court.
“He wishes that family (the victim’s) every positive outcome they could have in life. The price he’s paid is incomparable to that of the father’s, and his son’s.”
Chief Magistrate Mary-Louise Hribal accepted the plea and handed down the fine and driving disqualification.
Support our Journalism
No-nonsense journalism. No paywalls. Whether you’re in Australia, the UK, Canada, the USA, or India, you can support The Australia Today by taking a paid subscription via Patreon or donating via PayPal — and help keep honest, fearless journalism alive.
