A 36-year-old Taiwanese convicted drunk driver was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail on Wednesday for knocking down three Vietnamese migrant workers in Changhua County, central Taiwan, early this year. The incident resulted in two deaths and one other victim being injured.
The man, surnamed Chuo, pleaded guilty at the Changua District Court to drunk driving and causing deaths in a traffic accident that happened in the early hours of January 9 in Hemei, the United Daily News reported.
The court learned that prior to driving home, Chuo had consumed “several glasses” of whiskey at a downtown restaurant.
While traveling home on Hegang Road, he knocked down the three women, who were riding battery-powered bicycles.
Two of the victims, both surnamed Nguyen, were killed at the scene, while the third received a hand injury. After the accident, the offender’s car rammed into an electricity pole, seriously injuring Chuo and trapping him in the wrecked vehicle.
The court found that shortly after the accident Chuo, who was already serving three years’ probation for a previous drunk driving conviction, registered a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.23%, or almost five times the legal limit of 0.05%.
The judge said a heavy sentence was appropriate because Chuo, who had already had a previous drunk driving conviction, also failed to fulfill his promise to pay the two victims’ families compensation as agreed in a reconciliation meeting in January. This suggested to the judge that Chuo was not truly remorseful for what he had done.
The Judge and Taiwan/China are a joke.
The Judge and Taiwan/China are a joke.