A 32-year-old man was sentenced to five years and six months in jail for causing a road accident in Hâncești while under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene without offering aid to the passenger who died as a result of his injuries. The driver will serve time in a semi-closed jail and will be banned from driving, IPN reports.

The Prosecutor General’s Office said that being inebriated, the culprit last October was traveling through Călmățui village of Hâncești district. He was speeding and skidded off the road, running into a pole and overturning.

The medical examiners determined that the passenger who was in the car suffered moderate bodily injuries.

Immediately after the accident, the driver left the place of the accident, abandoning the passenger who had the seatbelt fastened. It was established that the passenger died as a result of combined mechanical asphyxiation. The driver denied any wrongdoing.

The sentence is not final and can be challenged in the Chisinau Appeals Court within 15 days.

The state prosecution considers the sentence is too mild and intends to appeal it.