Society

Appeal likely against driver's life sentence

By Wang Jingqiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-21 08:19

BEIJING - Chen Jia, a high-profile drunken driver, was given a life sentence on Friday for killing two people and injuring two others in a traffic accident in Beijing last year.

The Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's Court convicted 31-year-old Chen of endangering public safety after he drove above the speed limit when drunk, ran into a car and killed two people in the vehicle, and later fled the scene.

The verdict said Chen, driving his black Infiniti, ran a red light and collided with a white Fiat and then a bus at 5:35 am at an intersection in Beijing on May 9, 2010.

The accident killed Chen Weining, 35, and his 6-year-old daughter; injured Chen's wife Wang Hui severely, and also injured a 69-year-old passenger on the bus.

Xie Dan, Chen Jia's 25-year-old wife, and Chen Weining's family had reached a compensation agreement under which Xie will have to pay compensation of 3.66 million yuan ($563,800) to the victims' family.

Members of the victims' family were not in court on Friday, but some of Wang Hui's friends and colleagues attended the trial.

"We've been hoping for a fair verdict," said one of the friends surnamed Chang.

"I think Wang Hui, who is still under medical treatment, might feel better hearing this verdict."

Xing Hechen, the victims' deputy lawyer, said Xie Dan had already paid about 1.9 million yuan to Wang Hui.

"I think the court actually has shown leniency considering their willingness to pay compensation," Xing said.

Chen Jia himself appeared calm in court and, when asked for his opinion of the compensation agreement, his voice faltered a little.

"I'm very sorry for the hurt I've caused and I hope the compensation will make the victims' family feel better," he said.

Lu Junfeng, Chen's defense lawyer, said although the conviction for endangering public safety was acceptable, the sentence was too severe.

Earlier, Lu defended Chen Jia saying that he should have been charged with causing a traffic accident rather than endangering public safety. Causing a traffic accident is a crime of negligence, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years, while endangering public safety is an intentional crime that can attract a sentence of more than 10 years' imprisonment or the death penalty.

"It's hard to say if Chen intentionally or just negligently caused the tragedy," Lu said. "I respect the court's judgment. After all, he did run a red light and flee afterwards."

Lu said the court should have shown leniency in sentencing as Xie Dan has apologized and compensated the victims' family, actions that the court should take into account.

"She's selling their house and borrowing to pay the compensation," Lu said. "I will talk with Chen Jia and his family afterwards, and most probably we'll appeal to a higher court," Lu told China Daily.

In a similar case in 2009 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, 30-year-old Sun Weiming, a hit-and-run driver without a license, was sentenced to life for endangering public safety after he killed four people and injured one in a drunken-driving accident.