After drinking, Ma drove a borrowed Cadillac luxury car with a beautiful woman to have supper. The overly excited man drove recklessly on the third ring road and ended up crashing into a cleaning vehicle. Two women in the car were killed as a result. Yesterday, the Fengtai court heard this case. The defendant Ma apologized in court to the victims' families.
Court Session: Defendant apologizes in court
At 9 o'clock yesterday morning, 28-year-old Ma was brought into the courtroom (as shown in the picture). His wife sat in the audience, her eyes red. According to the prosecution, at 1:50 AM on January 20, 2011, Ma drove a Cadillac under the influence of alcohol. When he reached the west side of the Liujia窑 Bridge on the south section of the third ring road in Fengtai district, the front of his car collided with the road center barrier. The right side of the car then collided with the rear of a heavy cleaning vehicle driven by Yang, causing damage to both vehicles. Two women in their twenties in the Cadillac died after unsuccessful rescue attempts.
As determined by the traffic management department of the public security organs, Ma was fully responsible for the accident. Test results showed that Ma's blood alcohol content was 45 milligrams per 100 milliliters.
During the trial, Ma straightforwardly said: "I plead guilty." Speaking of the two deceased victims, Ma shed tears of regret. Ma recalled that after the accident, he was unconscious in the hospital for three days. He only learned after surgery that his two friends had passed away. With a painful expression, he said, "I know I was wrong. If time could be reversed, I would exchange my life for theirs." Ma apologized in court to the deceased and their families.
The prosecutor stated that Ma drove under the influence of alcohol and overspeeded, resulting in two deaths. His actions already constituted the crime of causing a traffic accident. It was recommended that the court sentence him to 3 to 7 years in prison. Considering Ma's active compensation and obtaining the understanding of the victims' families, it was suggested to impose a lighter punishment on him.
Incident: Borrowing a luxury car to show off wealth leads to tragedy
Ma is from Heilongjiang province and has only completed junior high school. Many years ago, Ma came to Beijing to make his fortune. He first worked for others selling clothes, later owning his own stall in a trade city, becoming a small boss. In 2011, Ma met Liu, a 20-year-old female waitress, in a karaoke bar. They became friends, and Ma often took Liu out for supper. Ma always drove a Cadillac, which he borrowed from a friend to display his wealth.
Ma recalled that on the night before the incident, he and Liu had dinner together, both happily drinking alcohol. After dinner, they went singing. At midnight, when he just got home, Liu called saying she wanted to eat supper. He drove the Cadillac to pick up Liu, who also brought another girl, Yang.
He drove onto the south section of the third ring road. On the way, Liu said something to him. Due to the loud music inside the car, he didn't hear what she said. Liu then pulled his arm. "I wasn't prepared, my hand holding the steering wheel wavered, and the car crashed into the cleaning vehicle."
This car accident not only caused immense harm to the families of the two victims but also burdened Ma's family with heavy debts. After the court session, Ma told reporters that besides compensating the families of the two victims, he also needed to compensate his friend for the repair costs of the Cadillac. For this reason, his wife borrowed money everywhere, leaving their family heavily indebted. "I hurt my family, I'm sorry to them," Ma expressed that he would quit drinking and never drive under the influence again.
Reported by Wu Xin/Text, Hao Xiaotian/Photography