Man pays K52, 000 fine for causing death by reckless driving
A man who caused death due to reckless driving which is contrary to section 126 (c) of the Road Traffic Act was on Friday ordered to pay a fine of K52, 000 by the Mangochi Magistrate’s Court.
Presiding over the case, First Grade Magistrate, Jack Njikho heard that the suspect on May 2, this year at about 8 PM while driving a Mazda 3 tone lorry registration number KA 23 from Mangochi to Chilipa hit a cyclist to death at Malangalanga Trading Centre in the district.
The court learnt that the cyclist died immediately after the car hit him and the cyclist was carried dead to Mangochi District Hospital where relatives identified the body.
The court also heard that the accused identified as Banwell Makala of Mkwatula village in the area of Traditional Authority Mponda in Mangochi was charged with three counts.
Makala was answering charges of causing death by reckless driving, driving without a driver’s licence contrary to section 18 of the Road Traffic Act and driving an unlicensed vehicle contrary to section 141 (1) of the same Act.
He pleaded guilty and admitted to the three charges.
In mitigation, Makala asked for leniency on the grounds that he was his family’s sole breadwinner and that it was not intentional to hit the man let alone kill him.
Before passing sentence, Magistrate Njikho noted that cases of death through reckless driving were on the increase in the district which called for the court’s intervention to protect innocent road users.
“It has come to the attention of the court that there has been a rise in the number of people being killed in road accidents in Mangochi, particularly and the whole country in general,” Njikho observed.
Njikho, therefore, ordered that the convict should pay a fine of K52, 000 or in default serve a 32 -month jail term.
Makala has since paid the fine.
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