A drunk driver has been sentenced to seven years in prison for killing another motorist after running a red light.
The High Criminal Court also ordered his deportation upon completion of the sentence.
The 30-year-old Sri Lankan was found guilty of vehicular manslaughter, driving under the influence and crossing an intersection against a red signal. He was also convicted of speeding by more than 30 per cent above the limit, reckless driving, causing property damage and injuring a passenger.
The defendant earlier told the Public Prosecution that he had been drinking during dinner with a female friend and was driving home to Umm Al Hassam from Riffa when the accident occurred.
“The traffic light at the intersection had just turned red. I applied the brakes but couldn’t stop in time and crossed the signal,” the Sri Lankan testified.
“At that moment, a vehicle was approaching from Sitra and I collided with it before crashing into the traffic light. The cars overturned, and I got out of my vehicle to check on the occupants of the other car.”
The fatal car crash took place at 2.25am on April 3 on Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah Highway, the prosecution stated. Although the speed limit on that road was 80kph, the expat was driving at 110kph.
According to the Public Prosecution, the defendant ‘failed to exercise the required caution while under the influence’, and drove through a red light. His vehicle struck the front of another car approaching from the left, forcing it into the central barrier separating the two directions of traffic.
The defendant’s car continued drifting before crashing into the traffic signal, while a third vehicle became involved in the collision and ended up on top of the victim’s car, trapping both the victim and his passenger.
The victim, Fahad Ali Yunus, died at the scene. His companion was pulled from the wreckage by Civil Defence crews, but sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital by ambulance.
The prosecution said the defendant’s vehicle sustained only minor damage, while the other two vehicles were heavily damaged.
A test reportedly showed the defendant’s blood alcohol level at 0.202 per cent, indicating severe intoxication.
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