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

A Hong Kong court has delivered a 22-month prison sentence to 61-year-old former truck driver Leung Chi-wa, following his conviction for dangerous driving causing the death of a pregnant woman. The fatal incident occurred on January 9, 2024, in Kwun Tong when Leung, driving a medium-sized truck, struck the victim as she was crossing the road during his turn from Hoi Bun Road onto Tsun Yip Street. While Leung had pleaded not guilty to the dangerous driving charge—admitting only to careless driving, which prosecutors rejected—he was ultimately found guilty after trial.

District Judge Josiah Lam Wai-kuen firmly dismissed the defense's key mitigation argument that the crash resulted from a fleeting error in judgment. In his sentencing remarks, Judge Lam characterized Leung's actions as a series of 'continuous wrong decisions' made for his own convenience, concluding, 'This is not a lapse in judgment, but driving with bad judgment.' The final 22-month term incorporated a two-month reduction granted because the defendant accepted much of the evidence presented by the prosecution during the proceedings.