Driver 'half responsible' for pedestrian's death sentenced to prison

Taipei, Dec. 24 (CNA) A man who was driving over 100 kilometers per hour when he hit and killed a 77-year-old woman illegally crossing the street has been sentenced to six months in jail by a Changhua court, which found him "half responsible" for the fatal crash.

In a verdict released Tuesday, the Changhua District Court said the accident occurred at around 6 p.m. one evening in January, as the man, surnamed Hu (胡), drove along Zhongshan Road in the southern part of Yuanlin City.

Hu, who was talking on the phone with a colleague using a hands-free device, was driving at a speed of 102.9 kph in a 60-kph zone as he approached Yuanlin Boulevard, the verdict said.

As Hu approached the intersection, a 77-year-old woman surnamed Chan (詹) attempted to cross the street at a crosswalk, despite there being a red pedestrian signal, the court said.

After noticing the pedestrian, Hu tried to avoid hitting Chan but ultimately struck her with his front left bumper, causing injuries to her head and chest that resulted in her death three days later, the court said.

In its verdict, the court said that although Hu was going well over the speed limit, he had a green light as he entered the intersection, and thus had the right of way.

Chan, on the other hand, had engaged in "highly risky" behavior by trying to cross the intersection on a red light, and was not carrying any type of reflective material, the court said.

Considering the facts of the case, the court determined that both parties were "half responsible" for the crash.

Hu, who was found guilty of negligent homicide, was sentenced to six months in prison, commutable to a fine at a rate of NT$3,000 (US$91.75) per day.

The verdict can be appealed.

Under Taiwan's Criminal Code, an individual found guilty of negligently causing the death of another person faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, or a fine of up to NT$500,000.