The family of a New Taipei police officer run down by a driver high on three drugs is fighting to stop his sentence from being cut, a case that has become a test of how seriously Taiwan punishes drug-impaired driving.

• A 29-year-old man took drugs, drove a Mercedes without a license, sped through a red light, and killed an on-duty officer in 2024, injuring two others.
• A citizen-judge panel gave him 18 years and six months, but higher courts sent the case back for retrial, and the retrial has now opened.
• The dead officer's family wants at least the original sentence kept, saying it reflects zero tolerance for driving on drugs.
• The driver admits taking drugs but denies his speeding and red-light running counted as dangerous driving, and is asking for a lighter sentence.
• He has signed settlement papers with victims but paid nothing, and once asked to be released from custody so he could work and earn compensation.

Outlook: The retrial will decide whether the near-19-year term survives, and the outcome is likely to set the tone for other drug-driving cases in Taiwan.