Pregnant Drunk Driver from US Granted Mercy by Shanghai Court

Sentenced to 3 months in prison

A Shanghai court handed down a lighter sentence to an American-Chinese woman caught drinking and driving because she is pregnant.

The Jing’an District People’s Court sentenced the US citizen, named Yan, to three months in prison, a three month suspended sentence, and a 5,000 yuan ($760) fine. The court argued that were the woman not pregnant, the sentence would have been more severe.

At around 3am on April 12, security footage captured Yan driving away from the Yan’an Hotel parking lot in her white SUV where she immediately smashed into a gate, a lamp post, and another car.When given a breathalyzer test by police, Yan blew well over the legal limit. She also didn’t have a valid Chinese driver’s license.

Charles Liu

The Nanfang's Senior Editor