Two convicted in fatal car accident each sentenced to 7 years in prison

Two men convicted of causing a major car accident that killed 15 people and injured 46 in November last year were sentenced to seven years in prison by a court in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu province, on Thursday morning.

The driver, Li Feng, and the car's owner, Li Jialin, said they would not appeal to a higher court, according to the court.

The driver, Li, collided with a tower-crane truck into a line of 31 vehicles at around 7:21 pm on Nov 3 in Lanzhou, capital city of northwest China's Gansu province, 50 meters from the Lanzhou South Toll Station on the expressway. He was detained the next day.

Police said in the preliminary investigation brake failure in Li's vehicle was the cause of the accident, which occurred on the continuous downhill sections of the expressway. The day of the accident also was the first time Li had driven on the Lanzhou-Haikou Expressway.

The court said when Li's car passed through five escape ramps, the driver didn't take any safety measures and left the car directly crashing into small vehicles lining up for payment in front. Thirty-three cars were damaged at the scene.

The direct property damage reached 199 million yuan ($28 million), the court said.