Driver jailed for causing death of motorcyclist, 24
A MAN was sentenced to three years and six months in prison and banned from driving for two years for causing the death of a 24-year-old motorcyclist in February.
A panel of judges at Lefkoşa Assize Court handed down the sentence to Samet Öztep for causing the death of takeaway delivery rider Ali Diyapoğlu during an accident that occurred in Lefkoşa on the main road to Near East University, at the Fairground crossroads at around 12.45pm on February 12.
The judges also ordered an investigation be launched against Diyapoğlu’s employer regarding the crash helmet he had been provided with, which “did not comply with safety standards”, and that the court should be informed of the outcome of the investigation within a month.
The court heard that the fatal accident happened when Mr Öztep, who was driving south in a double-cabin van, “carelessly started to turned right into the Fairground without giving right of way to vehicles coming from the opposite direction, crashing into and killing motorcyclist Ali Diyapoğlu”.
At a previous hearing in the trial, it was said that Mr Diyapoğlu had died of fractures to his skull and a cerebral haemorrhage.
Mr Öztep pleaded guilty to charges of “causing death by carelessness and recklessness”, “failing to give right of way to vehicles on a main road” and “reckless driving”.
Reading out the verdict on behalf of the court, Judge Vedia Berkut Barkın stated that Mr Öztep had been convicted and sentenced “in light of his confession and the facts and evidence presented”.
Judge Barkın, stating that the crime of “causing death by carelessness and recklessness” carries a maximum prison sentence of seven years, said that the defendant was “not under the influence of alcohol or drugs when the accident occurred, had no criminal record and was quite distraught”.
She added that the deceased was “not at fault” for the accident, while noting that “motorcyclists’ helmets in particular should comply with safety standards” and that “helmets sold in our country should be inspected”.