A Taiwanese court has handed a stiff sentence to a young driver who took drugs, drank, then killed an elderly motorcyclist and fled — a rare citizen-judge case that came down hard on mixing the two.

• A 26-year-old man in Chiayi ran into a motorcyclist from behind before dawn, drove over him, sped off, and the 70-something rider died.
• He had taken drugs the previous night and then drank until 4am; police caught him a day later still over the alcohol limit, with ecstasy and ketamine traces in his urine.
• The court called drugs plus alcohol a double dose of dangerous driving that badly weakens control of a car, and said he gambled with other people's lives for convenience.
• He confessed from the start, had no record, and had served as a volunteer soldier — but never settled with or apologised to the family, which cost him.
• Sentences ran 5 years for the deadly drug-and-drink driving and 3 years for fleeing, combined into 6 years and 6 months.

Outlook: The verdict can still be appealed, and it adds to pressure in Taiwan for tougher treatment of drivers who mix drugs and alcohol.