Female driver sentenced to death for killing police station chief

New Taipei, Feb. 11 (CNA) A female motorist who fatally dragged the head of a police station to his death while trying to evade a roadside check in September last year was sentenced to death by the New Taipei District Court on Wednesday.

Chen Chia-ying (陳嘉瑩) was convicted of murder, obstruction of official duties and driving under the influence of narcotics, and was stripped of her civil rights for life.

The incident occurred on Sept. 30, 2024, when the 30-year-old Chen, who was in possession of illegal drugs, rammed and dragged Liu Tsung-hsin (劉宗鑫), the head of Chingshui Police Station under Tucheng Precinct, before crashing into a guardrail.

Liu, 38, was conducting a routine check on illegally parked vehicles at the time. He was critically injured and later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while Chen fled the scene, according to authorities.

During court of first instance proceedings earlier Wednesday, Liu's family publicly pleaded for the death penalty. Chen, in turn, asked the court to impose a prison term, saying she wished to make amends and attempted to apologize to the family, but was rebuffed.

Prosecutors had sought a life sentence, citing Chen's failure to fully acknowledge the gravity of her actions, while the defense argued that the death was an accident that occurred as Chen attempted to flee what the defense described as an "illegal" police search.

After the verdict was announced, Liu's family broke down in tears and kowtowed in court to thank the judges, saying Taiwan's judiciary had upheld justice.

"Justice will not be delayed," those who take a life must pay with their own, Liu's father said.

The case, which was tried with the participation of lay judges, drew widespread public attention due to the nature of the crime and the victim's status as a police officer.

Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, when a death sentence is imposed, the trial court must automatically refer the case to the appellate court, regardless of whether an appeal is filed.

Once the parties are notified of the referral, the defendant is deemed to have appealed.