Hong Kong man gets 22 months in jail for pregnant woman’s death in truck accident

A former Hong Kong truck driver who caused the death of a pregnant woman was sentenced to 22 months in prison on Tuesday, with the judge saying the man had made “continuous” wrong decisions in his driving.

District Judge Josiah Lam Wai-kuen also pushed back on the defence’s mitigation argument that the accident had occurred because of a momentary lapse of judgment.

“He had acted out of convenience for himself. This is not a lapse in judgment, but driving with bad judgment,” he said in the District Court.

Leung Chi-wa, 61, was found guilty of dangerous driving causing death and sentenced to 22 months in prison. The sentence incorporated a two-month reduction for the defendant’s acceptance of much of the evidence raised by the prosecution.

He earlier pleaded not guilty to dangerous driving causing death, but admitted to careless driving, with the plea being rejected by prosecutors.

On January 9, 2024, Leung was driving a medium-sized truck when he struck the pregnant woman as he turned into Tsun Yip Street from Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong. The victim was crossing the road at the time of the accident.