Woman high on drugs and alcohol deliberately drove head-on into oncoming car, killing her 8-year-old daughter — sentenced to 14 years

The Regional Court in Pilsen has approved a plea and sentencing agreement for a woman who, on 20 October, deliberately steered her car into the oncoming lane on the Pilsen–České Budějovice highway, killing her own eight-year-old daughter in the crash. The woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison.

The crash happened at around half past five in the evening on a straight, clearly visible stretch of road between the villages of Vlčtejn and Seč. According to prosecutor Michal Rendl, the defendant, acting with suicidal intent, swerved into the left lane, where she collided head-on with an oncoming Peugeot Boxer van.

Prosecutors argued that the woman must have known her actions could kill not only her unbelted daughter sitting beside her, but also the passengers of the oncoming vehicle. Investigators established that at the time of the crash, the driver's blood alcohol level was around two per mille, and she was also under the influence of pervitin (crystal meth).

Emergency responders took four injured people to hospital: the defendant herself, her daughter, the van's driver, and his passenger. Despite doctors' efforts, the eight-year-old girl could not be saved — her injuries were the most severe.

"We consider the sentence handed down to be rather lenient, but we found it lawful, even if only just. It should be sufficient for the convicted woman's rehabilitation," said the presiding judge, Jan Hoštáš.

In court, the woman admitted that the crash, which claimed her daughter's life and injured another road user, had been carried out intentionally. "It's very hard for me," she said through tears in her final statement, before breaking down and being unable to continue.

It later emerged that the defendant had a history of psychological problems and had previously attempted suicide several times. A forensic examination confirmed that she was of sound mind at the time of the crime and bears full criminal responsibility for her actions. At the same time, experts noted that she had acted impulsively, under the influence of a severe mental state, and ruled out the possibility that the crime had been premeditated.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz