Taipei District prosecutors yesterday requested a life sentence for a taxi driver who allegedly killed his passenger after driving directly toward the victim and sending him flying into the air.
Prosecutors said they had charged the 39-year-old taxi driver, Lin Yuan-sheng (林淵晟), with manslaughter and requested a life sentence because the way the driver caused the death of his victim was “outrageous.”
On the morning of Oct. 20, Lin allegedly got into a heated argument with 51-year-old passenger Tu Tsan-hsiu (杜讚修) over whether the driver purposely took a longer route than necessary. Moments later, Lin dropped Tu off on Bade Road in downtown Taipei.
After Tu got out of the taxi, the driver backed up his cab a short distance, waited for Tu to turn his back and start to walk away. Lin then stepped on the accelerator and rammed the cab into the victim, sending him flying several meters into the air and killing him on the spot, prosecutors allege.
The taxi driver turned himself in at Songshan Police Station a day after the incident. His cab had been found abandoned in Sijhih (汐止), Taipei County.
Prosecutors said Lin had not shown any remorse for his actions and had told prosecutors that he “mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake.”
Prosecutors said Lin’s actions had caused the general public to fear taking taxis and requested that the court sentence Lin to life in prison.
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