Editor's Note: In this article, a milkman from Quzhou is fined for running over a dog and fleeing the scene. Pets are considered personal property in China and he was fined for property damage and leaving the scene of a traffic accident. The author of the article also interviews a few lawyers who give their opinions on the punishment given.

A Quzhou man was fined 2,000 Yuan and lost 12 points from his license after he hit a puppy with his car and drove away.

Mr. Li was fined by the police for a “hit and run,” after hitting a dog with his car. “I thought it was a small thing, I did not expect to be punished so severely,” he said. Li thought that the incident was merely a “small accident,” and was surprised by the steep fine.

Hit and Run

38 year old Li from Ningbo moved to Quzhou more than 10 years ago. Five or six years ago, he bought a small van that he used to deliver milk. On August 20, he was going along his normal route in the city, delivering milk early in the morning, when a puppy suddenly jumped in front of his car.

Li saw the puppy run out in front of his car. “I heard a noise come from the tires, but wasn't sure what had happened.” Li did not immediately stop and chose to keep driving.

“After two kilometers or so, I stopped the car to check it out. I didn't see any kind of blood on the car,” said Li. He looked behind the car and did not see a body or blood, and concluded that he did not hit the dog. He thought that nothing had happened and continued with his deliveries until the early afternoon.

Around 11:00, he received a phone call from the police and was informed that he had run over and killed the dog. Li went to the police station to sort out the incident.

Police Questioning

At the police station, Li was confronted by the dog's owner who demanded that he pay 20,000 Yuan. The high demand surprised Li.

When questioned by the police, Li changed his story and admitted that he knew he had hit the puppy all along. The police gave him a fine of 2,000 Yuan rather than 20,000, and deducted 12 points from his license.

With so many points lost on his license, Li could not drive. This is a big problem for someone who makes a living delivering milk. “I think the punishment is too harsh, it is just a small accident.”

Experts Weigh In

Zhao Hongjun, a lawyer from Ningbo, said when Li killed a pet dog with his car that constitutes direct property damage and a traffic accident. Li also fled the scene of a traffic accident which is also a punishable offensive.

A member of Hong Kong traffic police said that the punishment is not too harsh. Dogs are personal property, and Li chose to fled the scene instead of call the police. Therefore it was correct that traffic police found him fully responsible for the crime. The 2,000 Yuan fine and loss of 12 points is appropriate because the property damage was under 300,000 Yuan and no personal injuries were caused.

Source: QQ News

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Keywords: China dog run over China hit and run