T

he South Jakarta District Court sentenced Andika Pradipta, 27, to three years in prison on Monday following his involvement in a fatal collision, which killed two people and injured five in December 2012.

The verdict was one year longer than was sought by prosecutors, but far lighter than the maximum sentence of 12 years as stipulated in Article 311 of Law No. 22/2009 on traffic and transportation.

'€œThe court rules that Andika has been found guilty and is sentencing him to three years in prison,'€ presiding judge Matheus Samiaji said in court on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

Matheus explained that the fact that Andika had been driving the car that led to the death of two people and he did not help the victims in the aftermath were major factors in his sentencing.

Matheus added, however, that Andika'€™s move to apologize to the victims'€™ families had helped to mitigate his sentence.

'€œThe families have forgiven him. He also helped cover the medical expenses of the injured victims and repairs to their vehicles,'€ Matheus said.

Police named Andika a suspect in the accident that left two people dead and five others injured on Jl. Ampera, South Jakarta. Witnesses said that Andika was driving his Grand Livina car along the road at 12:30 a.m. at high speed and without lights when he hit three motorcycles parked on the road.

He tried to flee the scene but swerved off the road and hit a food stall and another motorcycle. Without stopping, he again attempted to drive off only to collide with an oncoming car. He was also proven to have been driving when drunk.

Police detained him immediately after the accident.

Andika'€™s lawyer, Hidayat Bostam, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that his client did not accept the verdict and would file an appeal.

However, his sentence is more just compared to the one handed down M. Rasyid Amrullah Rajasa, son of Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa.

In March, the East Jakarta District Court handed down a suspended five-month prison sentence to Rasyid, who rear-ended a car that led to the deaths of two people on New Year'€™s Day.

The panel of judges gave Rasyid six months'€™ probation and ordered him to pay a Rp 12 million (US$1,210) fine.

The verdict was lighter than the sentence sought by prosecutors, who asked for Rasyid to be sentenced to eight months in jail, a Rp 12 million fine and a one year driving suspension.

Also, police did not detain Rasyid, saying that '€œhis family guarantees that he will not flee'€.