Driver who killed pedestrian in Tallinn crash sentenced to 8 years

Dmitri Drušljak was sentenced to eight years in prison after Harju County Court found him guilty of speeding, driving under the influence and causing the death of a pedestrian in a crash on Tallinn's Laagna tee last spring.
The first-tier court also ordered the suspension of Drušljak's driver's license for eight and a half years.
According to the charges, on April 18, 2024, Drušljak was driving under the influence of alcohol, exceeded the speed limit, and caused the death of a woman who was crossing the road at a crosswalk during a red light.
The county court ruled that the defendant's violations caused the death of a person. Due to the defendant's detected level of intoxication, he was incapable of either steering the vehicle or reacting quickly and accurately enough to drive safely, preventing him from maintaining control over the vehicle.
His ability to drive was also impacted by exceeding the speed limit. As a result of these factors, the defendant struck the pedestrian on Laagna tee.
The court determined that Drušljak's vehicle was traveling at a speed of 130 kilometers per hour (km/h) at the moment of impact with the pedestrian.
It was also determined that Drušljak had used narcotic substances and consumed alcohol prior to driving. His blood alcohol level, or blood alcohol content (BAC) was relatively high, and evidence was also found of intoxication from illegal substances.
Drušljak's statements indicated that he was aware he should not have been driving due to his intoxication.
Taking into account the severity of the defendant's guilt, the lack of aggravating circumstances as well as mitigating circumstances — the defendant expressed remorse and apologized to the victims — along with details regarding the defendant's character, Harju County Court determined that the severity of the guilt warranted a sentence above the average range of 7.5 years, and sentenced him to eight years in prison.
Dmitri Drušljak was also ordered to pay a total of €5,723.55 in procedural costs, and victims in the case were further awarded legal costs totaling €4,154.10.
The court ruling has not yet entered into force, and may be appealed within 30 days to the second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Aili Vahtla