A driver who fatally struck a girl at a crosswalk has been sentenced to six years in prison.

In Tashkent, a court has issued a verdict against a driver responsible for a traffic accident that resulted in the death of a pedestrian. It was revealed that he had previously been convicted for theft.

According to the court ruling, which Kun.uz has reviewed, 27-year-old Muroliddin Zobikhullayev was driving a Lacetti car belonging to a friend under a power of attorney.

On September 18, 2024, disregarding traffic signs that limited speed, he sped down Samarkand Darvoza street in the Shayhantahur district at a speed of 112.7 km/h. As a result of losing control, at the intersection of Samarkand Darvoza and Abu Ali ibn Sina streets, he struck a 19-year-old girl who was crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing. The girl succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

During the court hearing, Zobikhullayev fully admitted his guilt.

“After I hit the pedestrian, I jumped out of the car and ran to the injured girl. I wanted to provide first aid and called for an ambulance. Bystanders began to gather around. One of them offered to take the girl to the hospital. In shock, I refused to drive and asked those around to help get her to the hospital. At that moment, blood was pouring from the injured girl's mouth, and she stopped breathing. Doctors from the nearest clinic confirmed her death,” the driver stated.

In the days following the tragic accident, Kun.uz investigated the situation. According to witnesses, the girl was alive for some time after being hit. However, the driver refused to take her to the hospital, and she died before the ambulance arrived.

“Someone shouted that a person had been hit. Quickly going downstairs, I saw the girl, and her condition was very critical. I told the driver, ‘lift her up, help!’ But he, with a cigarette in hand, replied, ‘I won't take her in my car.’ The girl was alive for a while, calling for her mother and father, but soon died before the ambulance arrived,” said a witness to the incident.

“The driver who hit the girl got out of the car and said, ‘I won’t take a corpse in my car.’ He showed no remorse. If he had quickly taken her to the hospital, maybe the girl would have survived,” another witness recounted.

The court found Muroliddin Zobikhullayev guilty of violating traffic safety rules leading to a person's death (Article 266 of the Criminal Code). He was sentenced to 4 years in prison, along with a 3-year ban on driving.

Considering the unserved portion of the sentence for a previously committed crime, Zobikhullayev's sentence was increased to 6 years and 24 days.

Previously, in 2023, Zobikhullayev was convicted for stealing horses and livestock in the Tashkent district of Tashkent region. At that time, he received a sentence of 5 years and 6 months in prison but was granted Article 72 of the Criminal Code, allowing for conditional sentencing with a probation period of 3 years.