(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-15 21:37

Wuhan -- A central China court sentenced a man to 6.5 years in prison for an accident that killed 24 people and injured 21 in August.

Hu Feng, a Wuhan Changhang Container Transport Co. Ltd. truck driver, was convicted of drunk driving and directly causing a serious accident, according to the Dongxihu District People's Court in Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province.

The accident occurred around 2 pm on August 25 when the truck veered out of control and collided head-on with a bus on the No. 107 National Highway in the Dongxihu District of Wuhan. Both vehicles plunged into a pond.

Hu confessed he had consumed liquor and beer in the morning and at noon. He was suddenly overcome by an unconscious spell while driving in the afternoon. He also recalled the truck was moving at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour, well above the posted 40 km limit.

The bus was carrying 47 passengers, despite having a capacity for only 33. The court said the bus driver, Huang Haibing, should have assumed some responsibility for the accident.

Huang died at the accident scene while Hu was slightly injured.

The court said the accident was directly triggered by drunk driving.

The Wuhan Changhang Container Transport Co. Ltd. had paid the victims' families more than 6 million yuan (US$820,000) in compensation.