Truck driver Jagmeet Singh has appeared in court after a tragic accident that claimed the life of pedestrian Nengguang Wen in Adelaide.
Mr Wen, a 64-year-old Chinese national who was visiting family in Adelaide, tragically died at the scene after being struck by Singh’s truck.
Mr Singh initially denied responsibility for killing Mr Wen on February 5, giving a TV interview proclaiming his innocence.
“What happened was not my fault,” Mr Singh told 7News at the time, insisting he “didn’t know what happened, it was a blink of my eye”.
However, Mr Singh pleaded guilty to causing the death of Mr Wen by driving dangerously at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The offence carries a maximum jail sentence of up to 15 years and a 10-year driving ban.
Prior to pleading guilty, Mr Singh attempted to negotiate a deal with prosecutors by pleading guilty to a lesser charge of driving without due care, which carries a maximum sentence of one year in jail.
“It was a horrible scene, I got out of the truck and looked at the man, he was not looking good,” Mr Singh said at the time.
“I didn’t do it intentionally, there was no intentions to hit that person … I can’t sleep, the scene is coming again and again in front of me and my wife.
“I would just say sorry and what happened was not my fault, I was not aware, I am not a murderer.”
Mr Singh said he couldn’t sleep due to the traumatic incident replaying in his mind.
In a previous court appearance in May, Singh had requested prosecutors to accept his guilty plea for aggravated driving without due care, but his lawyer later confirmed his intention to plead guilty to the more severe charge.
Judge Mary-Louise Hribal accepted Singh‘s new guilty plea and removed his previous confession to the lesser offence.
Singh remains on bail and is scheduled to appear before the District Court in November, at which time a date for sentencing submissions will be determined.
Neither Singh nor Mr Wen‘s family made statements outside the court.