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

A 32-year-old domestic worker, Lilyana Eva, has been charged with causing serious injury by 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 November 6, 2024. If convicted, she could face a prison term of up to four years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. The court will resume proceedings on November 13 and Eva is reportedly seeking legal assistance.

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 walking Zara and her younger sister home on January 23, 2024, when she attempted to cross the road at an unsignaled intersection without holding Zara’s hand. As a result, Zara ran across the street unattended and was hit by an oncoming vehicle, causing serious injuries.

The tragic accident occurred around 1:30 PM that day. Zara was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, but she did not survive. A coroner’s investigation A July 12 investigation found 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 revealed additional details. At the coroner’s hearing it was revealed that Eva was just a few steps away from Zara when the accident occurred.

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

According to Eva, she normally held Zara’s hand when she crossed roads, but she wasn’t sure why she didn’t do so on this particular day.

Local media reported that Eva said she had taught Zara road safety practices, and that Zara often walked independently.

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

The housekeeper reportedly saw the approaching car but was unable to react in time to avoid the collision. After the accident, Eva reportedly shouted at the vehicle to stop and immediately ran to Zara, who lay 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 hit.

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

During the coroner’s investigation, Inspector Muhammad Firdaus Suleiman of the Traffic Police Station noted that the car was not traveling at high speed at the time of the collision.

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

A car traveling at 50 km/h needs a braking distance of 20 meters.

The coroner’s findings attributed Zara’s sudden appearance in the driver’s path to her short height of about 40 inches, which made her difficult to see from the vehicle’s perspective.

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

According to the Straits Timesthe housekeeper was still working for the family in June after the accident.

TOC’s correspondent previously visited the location and found that no changes had been made to the road.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idGzOcQ-RIK

Ms Joan Pereira, Member of Parliament for the area, was previously quoted by TODAY his report about the fatal accident and says she has passed on to authorities feedback and suggestions from residents who have requested speed bumps or traffic regulations along the stretch of road.

“Considering that the topography of River Valley Road is tortuous in nature, the LTA (Land Transport Authority) has over the years taken action to install additional traffic lights at various locations to address the blind spots,” she said .

“For some of the winding and sloping roads, such as Institution Hill, which branch off from River Valley Road, authorities have assessed the feasibility of installing speed bumps or control lanes.”