The driver who caused a road accident a year ago, which resulted in the death of four people and five others being injured, received a tougher punishment after prosecutors appealed the district court ruling. The Chisinau Court of Appeals pronounced a final sentence of six years in prison, two years more than what the district court ruled, IPN reports.

The tragedy occurred on the evening of July 18, 2018, near the town of Leuseni, Hincesti district. Driving at over 120 km/h, the defendant crashed into a horse-drawn cart with nine people in it.

As a result, four people, including three children, died immediately. Another five occupants of the cart were seriously injured. The victims were members of three families and were returning home from work.

The 36-year-old driver was immediately detained and held in custody until the final sentence. According to the Hânceşti District Prosecutor’s Office, three months before the accident, the driver had been released after serving an 11-year prison sentence for a robbery committed in Russia.

Besides the longer prison term, the Court of Appeals also ordered the driver to pay to the victims’ successors 1 million lei in pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. The decision is enforceable, but may be appealed to the Supreme Court of Justice.