Driver sentenced to 6 years in jail for deadly accident

A driver surnamed Chen was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for causing a deadly road accident by a court in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

The traffic accident occurred around 7pm on July 30, 2018 when Chen hit several pedestrians on a road with her SUV in the western part of the city proper, killing five people and injuring several others, according to the People's Court of the Xihu District.

Police investigation showed that the accident occurred due to her misoperation -- stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake while wearing a pair of slippers, when she intended to stop the vehicle.

Considering that Chen surrendered herself to the police and proactively made compensations to the victims, the court adopted the request for lenience and rejected that for suspended sentence because of the severe consequences of the accident.

Chen was charged on Nov. 26, 2018 by the Xihu District's people's procuratorate.