Historic Court Decision
Sentences Man To 12
Years Jail For Traffic
Accident Death
In a historic decision
by the Juzgado Penal del
Primer Circuito Judicial
de San José, David
Zúñiga Ruiz, will be
spending the next 12
years of life behin bars
for not respecting a
traffic light and
causing the death of 18
year old Dinia Madrigal
Rojas.
The accident occurred on
October 18, 2003, in
downtown San José at the
intersection of Avenida
10 and Calle 9.
Court justices, María de
los Ángeles Arana Rojas,
Ana Patricia Araya Umaña
and Linda Casas Zamora,
were presented with
testimony and evidene of
how the vehicle driver
by Ruiz failed to stop
at a red light atr
2:15m, slamming into the
vehicle in which Dinia
was riding.
Dinia died on the scene,
while her two sisters
were taken to hospital
in delicate condition,
recovering after several
months in hospital.
Juan Diego Castro,
lawyer for the family,
was quoted as saying
"for the first time in
the history of our
country, where
negligence at the wheel
is a daily occurrence, a
court has dared to
accept a manslaughter
charge."
Castro added that the
decision will mean a
total change in
jurisprudence.
The historic decision
sets the precedence that
a reckless driver who
causes a death will go
to jail.
Castro emphasized that
from now on the courts
will not hesitate in
handing down jail
sentences to reckless
drivers who for the
longest time have mocked
the judicial system.
With tears in her eyes,
Teresa Madrigal Rojas,
mother of Dinia, said
that the battle to
ensure that her
daughter's death did not
go unpunished has been
hard on her and her
family.
"It is has been a battle
that lasted five years,
a battle we all believed
we would lose since he
(Ruiz) has lied so much,
always telling lies of
what happened that night
and calling me to tell
me things that were very
hurtful", said doña
Teresa.
Ruiz had been absolved
of any responsibility in
the first trial.
However, on appeal, the
Sala III ordered a new
trial where he was found
guilty.
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