In Atyrau, a court sentenced the driver of a Toyota Alphard who struck a four-year-old boy to one year in prison, but released him from serving the sentence under an amnesty, according to infohub.kz.
The accident occurred on the evening of May 4 in the courtyard of building No. 3 in the Avangard-2 neighborhood. The minivan hit a boy riding a bicycle. The child suffered severe injuries and spent nearly a month in a coma. According to his father, the boy regained consciousness but is still undergoing treatment and rehabilitation. He lost his eyesight, cannot fully move his arm, and requires further surgeries.
The driver fully admitted guilt. He explained that the child unexpectedly emerged in front of the vehicle as he was entering the courtyard. After the incident, he and the boy's parents took the victim to a children's hospital. However, a forensic automotive examination determined that the accident could have been avoided. Experts concluded that with timely emergency braking, the Toyota could have stopped before the child appeared.
The court found the driver guilty of violating traffic rules resulting in grievous bodily harm. He was sentenced to one year in prison, banned from driving for three years, and ordered to pay 10 million tenge in compensation for moral damages to the boy's father. However, the sentence was suspended under an amnesty declared for the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan's Constitution. The driving ban and compensation order remain in effect.
Earlier, it was reported that a female driver who fatally hit a pedestrian in Kokshetau received a 2.5-year suspended sentence.