Taxi driver jailed over hit-and-run death
A cab driver who ran over and killed an elderly woman without stopping was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison yesterday.
District Court Judge Bernard Whaley said that although the defendant had a relatively good driving record, he was responsible for the tragic incident.
The taxi driven by Liu Kwok-chun, 58, killed Auw Pau Wai-ying, 73, on Castle Peak Road outside Yin Kong village, Sheung Shui, on September 21, 2006. He received one year and eight months for one count of dangerous driving causing death, and one year for failing to stop.
He was also handed six months for failing to report the accident and six months for attempting to destroy evidence. The last two sentences run concurrently. Liu received the maximum prison terms for all but the first charge.
On Wednesday, a court gave KMB technician Lam Siu-tong one year in prison for a hit-and-run accident that killed a woman on the same road.
The sentence angered her family, who said it should have been longer.
Judge Whaley said many recent sentences were 'very lenient, in some cases, inexplicably lenient'. He said there was a need to impose penalties that would stress the need for responsible driving and take into account the impact on victims' families.
Ricky Auw, the son of the dead woman, said the sentence should have been four or five years.
'Hitting someone, running them over and leaving without stopping, that's no different from murder.'
New Territories North Senior Inspector Chan Hung-yiu said the prosecution might apply for the concurrent sentences to run consecutively.
Liu hit Auw at about 6am at a pedestrian crossing travelling faster than the posted 50km/h.
The impact shattered Auw's ankle and threw her body on to the bonnet. After Liu slowed, her body fell to the ground, and as he sped up again one of his wheels rolled over her head, Judge Whaley said. Liu later changed his front licence plate.
