Published: 2026/4/23 19:39 Updated: 2026/4/23 20:34
Chen Huanyu, Xu Zhengjun, Li Chenyu / Local Report
In February, a man surnamed Wu, after using drugs, drove a pickup truck without a license with five children. He refused inspection and fled, causing an accident that resulted in injuries to all five children, including a 6-year-old girl with severe brain damage. Prosecutors have indicted Wu and, considering his multiple prior convictions for drug use and driving under the influence, have recommended a minimum sentence of 8 years imprisonment.
Truck parts were scattered all over the ground, demonstrating the force of the impact. On February 23, a man surnamed Wu from Tainan, after using drugs, drove a small truck without a license with five of his friends’ children. He was stopped by police for a traffic violation, but instead of stopping, he sped away, crashing into a car and a utility pole, causing the children to be thrown into the air and injured.
Tainan District Prosecutors Office Chief Prosecutor Li Junyi explained, “The defendant’s urine tested positive for 8772 ng of amphetamine and 44,924 ng of methamphetamine, significantly exceeding the drug concentration limits announced by the Executive Yuan.”
The unlicensed driving under the influence of drugs resulted in injuries to five children, including a 6-year-old girl surnamed Huang who suffered severe brain damage. Prosecutors determined that Wu was guilty of drug driving, endangering public safety, and causing serious injury to children. Considering Wu’s multiple prior drug and drug driving convictions, prosecutors concluded their investigation on the 23rd and indicted him, seeking a heavy sentence.
Chief Prosecutor Li Junyi of the Tainan District Prosecutors Office stated, “The statutory penalty for this crime is imprisonment for a term of not less than three years and not more than ten years. In this case, we recommend that the court sentence the defendant to at least eight years in prison.”
In March, a mother of three in Kaohsiung was killed in a high-speed collision with a motorcycle while driving under the influence of drugs. A proposal was submitted on a public policy online platform to increase the penalties for drunk driving and drug driving, including raising the death penalty to 20 years or more, or even the death penalty. The petition reached its signature target in less than a month and is awaiting a response from the authorities. However, scholars have different opinions.
Wang Po-Chi, Associate Professor of the Department of Criminal Justice at Ming Chuan University pointed out, “In the short term, there may be some deterrent effect, but in the long run, some people may relapse. Forced punishment seems to have little effect on them. Besides increasing the penalty, could we also consider compulsory treatment for sexual assault cases?”
The large number of repeat offenders of drug and drunk driving demonstrates that severe penalties have limited deterrent effect. Scholars suggest that efforts should be made to make treatment for addicts more forceful, or to expand the scope of detection devices such as alcohol locks, which may be able to curb the problem at its source.