The Taichung District Court on Friday handed down a seven-year prison term to Chen Jui-ying (陳瑞盈), a repeat drunk driver who killed two people riding motorcycles in a crash this year.
The families of those killed said that they did not accept the ruling and are angry at the justice system for “such a lenient punishment.”
Chen, 49, prior to the crash had two DUI convictions and his driver’s license was suspended.
Chen, after drinking on the night of Feb. 2, drove his SUV at high speeds on the wrong side of a road for more than 1km in Taichung leading up to the crash, police said at the time.
He plowed into several scooters and parked cars, killing a 21-year-old male university student surnamed Peng (彭) and a 25-year-old woman surnamed Cheng (鄭), who was engaged to be married, police said.
Chen had a blood-alcohol level of 0.81 milligrams per liter (mg/L), in excess of the legal limit of 0.15mg/L, they said.
Prosecutors requested a 10-year sentence.
The judges said that Chen had arranged compensation, transferring ownership of an apartment and two suites to the families, as well as payments totaling NT$1.05 million (US$33,215).
Chen admitted to drunk driving, but said he did not know he was speeding and on the wrong side of the road because he had taken amphetamines, the judges said, adding that he had shown remorse.
This coupled with the compensation prompted the reduced sentence, they said.
“We cannot accept this ruling. Why is Taiwanese law so lenient on drunk drivers?” Peng’s father said.
“The prosecutors sought 10 years, but the first ruling brought only a seven-year term. How much more leniency will the court show in the second ruling?” he said.
“The drunk driver apologized to us, but what use is that? My son is dead and we cannot get him back,” he said, adding that he was his only son.
Cheng’s mother was sobbing after hearing the ruling.
She said that her heart had suffered much pain and sorrow since her daughter was killed.
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