A bus driver behind the wheel of a double decker, which last year mounted a sidewalk during rush hour, killing three people and injuring 30 others, was yesterday jailed for two and a half years.
On September 22 last year, 45-year-old Fong Kwing-wah was driving the E21A Citybus through Sham Shui Po when, around 7pm, he hit a taxi and veered towards a sidewalk near the junction between Cheung Sha Wan Road and Yen Chow Street.
The bus mounted the pavement and ploughed through several pedestrians. Dash cam footage posted online shows the moment the top deck of the bus slammed into an overhanging canopy from one of the buildings nearby.
Fong earlier pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving causing death and another of causing grievous bodily harm, Ming Pao reports.
Appearing in District Court yesterday, Fong received a two-and-a-half year jail term. He was also suspended from driving for the next five years, and ordered to attend a driving improvement course before the suspension ends.
According to Apple Daily, in a mitigating statement to the court, a defense lawyer presented a letter signed by Fong’s wife and 13-year-old daughter saying he’s a good family man.
The defense lawyer also said that he advised Fong against pleading guilty as his driving wasn’t dangerous by legal standards, he wasn’t speeding and he didn’t jump a red light.
He added that Fong tried to avert catastrophe by turning away from the sidewalk, but was too late.
The lawyer also told the court that the incident was also very traumatic for Fong, and that it had damaged his finances, physical and mental health. He added that Fong decided to plead guilty because he felt remorse for what had happened, hoped to obtain a lighter sentence, and wanted to put the tragic incident behind him.
Judge Frankie Yiu Fun-che noted that Fong was driving at more than 40 kilometers per hour when he approached the junction and had applied only light braking, the SCMP reports.
Nonetheless, Yiu took into account Fong’s lack of a criminal record as well as the fact that speeding was not involved. He reached a sentence starting point of 42 months, and reduced it by 25 per cent after taking into account Fong’s guilty plea.
Relatives of the deceased were also present in the courtroom for the sentencing. When asked by reporters outside the courtroom how they felt about the sentence, one female relative replied: “I never thought they would hand down such a light sentence. Three people lost their lives!”
According to section 36 of the Road Traffic Ordinance, those found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving can be sentenced to between two to 10 years in jail and fined HK$20,000 to HK$50,000 (US$2,000 to US$5,100).
Those found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving can be sentenced to two to seven years in prison, and fined HK$20,000 to HK$50,000.
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