Engineer gets jail for deadly crash

[KangTao]

2014年02月06日

嫌巴士慢切雙白線爬頭　
撞死鐵騎士　工程師毀前程

死者當日被捲入車底，送院前已不治。

【本報訊】經歷喪母之痛但仍苦讀、以一級榮譽成績取得雙學位的飛機助理工程師，原於本年底取得飛機機械工程師資格，卻因駕駛七人車上山時所做一個錯誤決定，令前途盡毀，更奪去西門子一高層性命，昨被判囚11個月，兼停牌5年。

記者：李啟發

被告鄭智禮於事發後接受查問。資料圖片

被告鄭智禮（25歲）於航空公司任職助理工程師，沒有交通或刑事案底，昨在區域法院承認危險駕駛引致他人死亡罪。慘遭奪命的英國籍死者Gavin Tara Spier，生前為西門子（SIEMENS）亞太區副總裁。

去年6月1日下午1時許，被告在大嶼山嶼南道駕駛七人車上山。該路段有兩條行車線，一條上山一條落山，由雙白線分隔，路面限速為每小時50公里。被告行駛途中，遇到前方一輛載着50名乘客的單層巴士，巴士以時速15公里上山。

當兩車駛至一個入右彎的窄路時，被告切雙白線，以約時速40公里車速爬頭。其時，死者恰巧駕駛電單車落山，死者為躲開迎面而來的七人車，連人帶車翻側撞向地面。被告雖有煞車，但仍撞向死者，死者慘遭壓在七人車車底。警方到場發現死者失去知覺，身體多處受傷，送院前證實死亡。被告承認為節省時間而切線。

死者

大學時喪母完成雙學位

被告透過律師求情，他於2007年讀大學時不幸喪母，經歷艱苦時刻，但仍努力完成機械工程和商業管理雙學位課程，並考獲一級榮譽成績。畢業後任助理工程師，花了四年時間繼續進修，原定年底取得飛機機械工程師資格，因本案導致前功盡廢。被告坦承當時作出「一個非常非常非常之錯誤嘅決定」，承認違例切雙白線，但沒超速。今次一時愚蠢，影響被告餘生，但他希望在獄中進修，將來重返社會。

暫委法官蔡維邦指被告的危駕行為，奪去一條無辜人命，當時決定爬頭，必定難有清楚視線，今次事件屬可避免。但認為被告的行為有違本性，因其良好品格及學業成就，酌情減刑三個月。

 

[KangTao]

Engineer gets jail for deadly crash

Thursday, February 06, 2014

An assistant engineer who hit and killed the vice president of Siemens Hong Kong in an accident last year was yesterday jailed for 11 months and had his driving license suspended for five years.

Cheng Chi-lai, 25, had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.

The District Court heard that, on June 1 in Lantau, Cheng passed a double- decker bus, crossed double white lines and hit Gavin Spier, who was riding a motorcycle in the opposite lane.

Spier got thrown off and was rolled over by Cheng's seven-seater vehicle. He died before reaching hospital.

In pleading for leniency, the defense said Cheng achieved a double degree in mechanical engineering and business administration and graduated with honors despite his mother dying when he was studying.

He became an assistant engineer and had planned to qualify as an aircraft engineer this year and get married before the end of the year. But all his "hopes evaporated because he made an extremely wrong decision."

After the accident Cheng lived with his retired father.

The defense also submitted 30 letters pleading for leniency and documents to show his outstanding performances in his studies and work.

Deputy district judge Edwin Choy Wai-bond said the accident could have been avoided but because of his decision to cross the double white lines Cheng had taken a precious life. But since Cheng had no criminal record and had been outstanding in his studies and work, the court reduced the penalty.

STAFF REPORTER