Man sentenced to 6 years in jail for traffic offence

HANGZHOU, July 15 (Xinhua) -- A defendant, surnamed Chen, was sentenced Monday to six years in prison for causing traffic casualties by a local court in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province.

The traffic accident occurred around 7 p.m. on July 30, 2018 when Chen hit several pedestrians on a road with his SUV in the western part of the city proper, killing five people and injuring several others, according to the People's Court of the West Lake District.

Police investigation showed that the accident occurred due to his misoperation -- stepping on the gas pedal instead of the brake, when he intended to stop the vehicle.

Chen was filed a lawsuit on Nov. 26, 2018 by the district's people's procuratorate.