The Debreceni Törvényszék, acting as a second-instance court, amended the first-instance ruling at a public hearing held on February 26, 2026, in the case of a man who struck and killed a young woman at a pedestrian crossing in Debrecen.
Previously, the Debreceni Járásbíróság had found the defendant guilty of negligently causing a fatal road accident. He was sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in prison, suspended for a probation period of 3 years and 6 months, and banned from driving for 2 years and 6 months. The prosecution appealed for a harsher sentence, while the defendant accepted the verdict, though his defense attorney also filed an appeal. The second-instance criminal panel revised the decision and imposed a stricter punishment.
The court removed the suspension of the prison sentence, ordering it to be served, and extended the driving ban to 3 years and 2 months. All other parts of the original judgment were upheld.
According to the final ruling, in the early hours of August 14, 2023, at around 5 a.m., the defendant was driving alone in a light truck in Debrecen at the permitted speed. As he approached a pedestrian crossing at 148 Böszörményi Road, he failed to notice the victim crossing due to significant inattention and struck her with the front left side of the vehicle without braking. The young woman suffered such severe, life-threatening injuries in the high-impact collision that she died at the scene. The court determined that the defendant violated traffic regulations regarding pedestrian right of way, which led to the accident and the victim’s death.
In the oral reasoning, Judge Dr. Péter Kovács stated that the court found a suspended prison sentence insufficient to achieve the aims of punishment. Considering both general and specific deterrence, and in light of the serious breach of fundamental traffic rules and the high degree of negligence, an effective custodial sentence was deemed justified. At the same time, the court took into account the defendant’s very favorable personal circumstances and previously clean driving record. After serving half of his sentence, the defendant may be eligible for parole.
The ruling is final and enforceable.
