The Court of Justice has imposed a combined sentence on a man identified by the initials S.T., who was found guilty of hitting an elderly pedestrian and fleeing the scene while driving without a valid license. The tragic incident occurred on December 2, 2024, along the Green Corridor between Oranjestad and San Nicolas, near Pos Chiquito.
According to the court, S.T. struck pedestrian Mr. Croes during the evening hours. The impact caused the victim to fall onto the opposite side of the road, where two oncoming vehicles subsequently ran over him, resulting in his death.
The judge confirmed the prosecution’s request for a combined sentence, noting that while S.T. was not held criminally responsible for causing the initial accident itself, he was found guilty of leaving the scene and driving without a license.
During the hearing, the court emphasized that driving without a license poses serious risks to public safety. It was revealed that S.T. had previously failed his driving test and had already been fined 650 florins in the past for driving without a license. Despite this, he chose to drive again on the night of the incident.
S.T. told the court that he panicked after feeling an impact and continued driving, believing he had hit an object rather than a person. The judge rejected this explanation, stating that drivers have a responsibility to stop, check the situation, and report to police.
Police located and arrested S.T. six days after the accident, on December 8, 2024. Although he later obtained a valid driver’s license, the court noted that this did not excuse his actions at the time of the incident.
The prosecution requested a sentence of 30 days in prison, of which 12 days are conditional, with a two-year probation period. This means S.T. will not serve time in prison unless he commits another offense during the probation period. The court accepted this recommendation and also ruled that the confiscated vehicle may be returned.
In delivering the verdict, the judge described the incident as tragic and stressed the importance of accountability in traffic-related offenses, particularly when loss of life is involved.
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