A Taiwanese police officer was killed on duty by a man driving under the influence of drugs, and his family is fighting to keep the 18-and-a-half-year sentence in place — a significant battle in the push for tougher penalties for drug-impaired driving.

• In 2024, a 29-year-old man who had taken three types of drugs drove without a licence at high speed, ran a red light and drove into oncoming traffic, killing Huang Wei-chen, an officer with the Sanchong Precinct who was on duty at the time, and injuring two other people.
• A citizen-judge panel handed down a sentence of 18 years and 6 months at first instance; the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and sent the case back, and the High Court opened its retrial hearing today, with the family hoping the sentence will at least be maintained.
• The defendant has admitted to taking drugs but denies that speeding and running a red light constitute dangerous driving, and has also argued for a reduced sentence on the grounds of voluntary surrender, saying the sentence is too heavy.
• He has said he was willing to reach a settlement, but has never actually paid any compensation, and even asked to be released from detention on the grounds that he needed to go out and earn money to pay compensation.
• The widow said her children still often ask "when can Daddy come home," and that she chose to speak out in the hope that society will confront the harm caused by drug-impaired driving.

Outlook: The retrial will determine whether the 18-and-a-half-year sentence stands, and the verdict could become an important benchmark for future cases of drug-impaired driving causing death.