A repeat drunk driver who struck and killed a pedestrian after running a red light at over 90 kilometers per hour was sentenced to nine years and 10 months in prison by the Taiwan High Court Kaohsiung Branch Wednesday.
In a statement, the high court said it had added two years to the sentence of Huang Tzu-yang (???), a 38-year-old with two prior DUIs, following an appeal from prosecutors.
On Dec. 26, 2021, Huang ran a red light and struck a family of four crossing an intersection on Hedong Road in Kaohsiung, killing a 37-year-old woman, surnamed Fan (?), and seriously injuring her two daughters, aged 13 and 15, and the girls' father, a 45-year-old man surnamed Lin (?).
According to the court, Huang recorded a blood-alcohol level of 1.24 milligrams per liter at the scene -- around five times the legal limit -- and had been driving erratically at an estimated speed of 93 kilometers per hour.
In a previous ruling, the Kaohsiung District Court sentenced Huang to seven years and 10 months in prison and ordered him to pay NT$35.49 million (US$1.18 million) in compensation to the family of Lin.
However, citing the opinion of doctors who treated Lin and his two daughters for around a year, the high court said Huang's offenses were "serious" enough to warrant a heavier prison term.
The court said Huang repeatedly engaged in dangerous behavior despite knowing full well that his actions could result in death or injury.
The court added that it hoped the harsher sentence would serve as a reminder to the general public that such an act could carry a sentence of 3-10 years.
Later on Wednesday, Lin said he learned of the high court's judgment with a heavy heart.
Describing the sentence "too lenient," Lin expressed frustration that lawmakers had ignored his calls to amend the law to allow murder charges to be brought against those who kill while driving drunk.
The high court's ruling can be appealed.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel