The sentence translates to: "The sentence of the 19-year-old young man who caused the death of 5 people in Izmir has been determined!"

On June 30, 2023, a traffic accident occurred in the Menderes district of İzmir, resulting in the death of 5 people and injuries to 20 others. The court has made its decision regarding the case. The 19-year-old driver Y.İ.K., who caused the accident, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with conscious negligence."

During the hearing held at the İzmir 7th High Criminal Court, the detained defendant Y.İ.K participated via SEGBİS, while the lawyers of the parties and the complainants were also present in the courtroom. The presiding judge announced that the traffic report from the forensic medicine institution had reached the court. The defendant's lawyers claimed that there were deficiencies in the report and requested that it be renewed and that it be determined whether a signal was given before the overtaking. However, the public prosecutor requested that the defendant be punished for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with conscious negligence" and that the sentence be increased from the lower limit.

PENALTY INCREASED FROM 12 YEARS TO 18 YEARS

The defendant's lawyers argued that Y.İ.K did not intentionally and willingly cause the accident, stating that he was young and that the incident occurred due to simple negligence. They also emphasized that the defendant surrendered after the accident and had held a driver's license for 1 year, requesting that their client be punished from the lower limit. The defendant Y.İ.K. requested his acquittal in his final defense.

The court decided to sentence the defendant to 12 years in prison for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with negligence," and due to the crime being committed with "conscious negligence," the sentence was increased by half to 18 years. No mitigating circumstances were applied for the defendant.

UP TO 22.5 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT WAS SOUGHT FOR THE DEFENDANT

In the accident that occurred on June 30, 2023, in the Menderes district of İzmir, the light commercial vehicle driven by Y.İ.K. collided with a car driven by Özcan Özer while making lane violations known as "cutting in." As a result of the collision, the out-of-control vehicle crossed the median and collided with a minibus coming from the opposite direction. As a result of the accident, Özcan Özer, his wife Sibel Özer, their son Ali Alperen Özer, his sister Şengül Akbaş, and passenger Mustafa Kemal Karaca in the minibus lost their lives. Additionally, 20 people were injured in the accident.

After the incident, the defendant Y.İ.K was detained and arrested for the crime of "causing the death and injury of multiple people with conscious negligence." A prison sentence of up to 22.5 years was sought for the defendant.