A Daewoo driver in Lviv was sentenced to three years in prison for a fatal traffic accident.
In the Lviv region, the Yavorytsky District Court sentenced the driver of a Daewoo Sens to three years and three months in prison for hitting a man who fell off his bicycle on the road. The driver pleaded not guilty, explaining the accident as a result of poor visibility and being blinded by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. The court found that he had the technical ability to avoid the collision.
In February 2023, a fatal traffic accident occurred in the village of Shklo, in the Yavoriv district. The driver of a Daewoo Sens, traveling in the direction of Novo Yavoryvsk, hit a man who had fallen from his bicycle on the road.
According to a witness, the injured person exited the alleyway on a bicycle, fell onto the road, and attempted to get up. The witness, noticing the approaching cars, began waving his phone's flashlight to warn the drivers of the danger.
The driver of the Daewoo Sens did not admit guilt in court, explaining that it was raining that evening, and the asphalt was wet, while the headlights of the oncoming vehicle were blinding him. He also claimed that he was distracted by a man with a flashlight near the road, and when he looked forward again, he felt a collision.
The court, after reviewing the video recording of the accident, the results of the investigative experiment, and the expert opinions, determined that the driver had the technical ability to avoid the accident if they had reacted in time to the danger. The expert examination revealed that the Daewoo Sens was traveling at a speed of 53–61 km/h. Furthermore, the oncoming vehicle was approaching the Daewoo Sens almost at the moment of impact. The court rejected the driver's explanation regarding poor visibility and being blinded by the headlights.
The daughter of the deceased, who died in court, stated that the driver did not apologize to the family and did not compensate for the damages. She requested that a real prison sentence be imposed on him and that his driving license be revoked for three years. The defendant claimed that after the accident, he visited the injured person in the hospital, bought medication, and offered the family a compensation of 2000 euros, but an agreement could not be reached.
The Yavorytsky District Court found the man guilty of violating traffic rules, which resulted in the death of a person, and sentenced him to three years and three months in prison. He was also deprived of the right to drive for one year. He will also be required to pay over 7,500 UAH in expenses for the forensic examinations. The verdict can be appealed within 30 days.