Drunk Driver Sentenced
to 10 Yeas Prison
Carlos Robles Ureña, the
young man on trial for
being responsible for
the death of four people
killed in a traffic
accident while he was
drinking drunk, was
sentenced to 10 years in
prison on Tuesday. The
prosecution had
requested a sentence of
16 years.
Robles, who had at least
23 traffic violations
for drunk driving was
sentenced by the
tTribunal de
Desamparados for the
October 26, 2004,
deaths.
The accident occurred in
Gravillas, Desamparados,
a hour after Robles had
been stopped by a
Tránsito (traffic
official) for drunk
driving but was let go
only with a ticket and
did not have his car
impounded. The
prosecution said that in
the euphoria of getting
away with only ticket,
he did not respect a
traffic signal, causing
the accident leaving
four dead and one person
incapacitated.
The court also awarded
the family of the
victims ¢100 million
colones in damages,
which will come out of
the state purse since
Robles and his brother,
the owner of the car, do
not have the financial
resources to pay,
commenting that the
error of the traffic
official, who is waiting
trial on a separate
matter for the theft of
a motorcycle, will now
have to be paid by all
Costa Ricans.
Robles was also barred
from driving for the
next 20 years. |
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