There has been progress in the case involving a hit-and-run in Phnom Penh in which a Land Rover struck and killed a motorcyclist. Phnom Penh police chief Chuon Narin said police have taken control of the vehicle's owner, Sao LyChhing. The accident occurred on the evening of October 28 in Chroy Changvar District, where a motorcyclist was struck dead and the Land Rover then drove away from the scene. Sao LyChhing operates a cosmetics business and is often referred to as an internet-famous businesswoman. Police are still investigating who was driving at the time and what liability for the accident applies.
After fleeing the scene, the focus of public attention has turned to whether the case can be settled through compensation and a financial agreement with the victim's family. In several fatal traffic accidents in Cambodia in recent years, the responsible parties separately paid compensation of US$95,000, US$60,000 and US$18,500, but these were individually negotiated settlements rather than a uniform standard. Civil compensation also does not mean that criminal liability is automatically waived.
Under Article 85 of Cambodia's Road Traffic Law, anyone who causes another person's death through negligent driving or a traffic-rule violation may face imprisonment and a fine; if aggravating circumstances such as fleeing the scene are present, the punishment may be increased. At present, there is no reliable information confirming that Sao LyChhing has submitted a compensation proposal. The case remains pending further police investigation into who was actually driving and adjudication by the judicial authorities in accordance with the law.
Therefore, compensation does not mean that criminal liability is automatically waived. How the case is classified and how the offender is sentenced must be determined by the judicial authorities in accordance with the law. The public's concern also centers on whether the law will be applied without distinction based on a person's status and wealth.