Appellate court orders 6 months’ prison for Kavadarci man after 3.21‰ DUI crash

A man from Kavadarci identified as A. M. (36) was given a six‑month prison sentence after an appellate court in Skopje replaced a monetary fine related to a drunk‑driving crash. Prosecutors say he is the first person convicted for this kind of offence in the Kavadarci, Negotino and Veles area.

Court ruling and penalties

“The Appellate Court in Skopje, following a complaint filed by the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Kavadarci for the criminal offence Reckless driving of a motor vehicle under Article 297‑a of the Criminal Code, where the vehicle was driven with 3.21‰ alcohol, replaced the €2,000 fine with a sentence of 6 months imprisonment, and confirmed the security measure, a ban on driving B‑category vehicles for two years. Time spent in prison is not counted towards the driving ban,” the Basic Public Prosecutor's Office in Kavadarci said.

The office announced that the fine was originally imposed, but after the prosecution appealed the appellate court converted it into an effective custodial sentence while upholding the two‑year driving ban.

The traffic accident itself occurred on December 17 last year at the junction of Naroden Front and Kole Podleshki streets in Kavadarci. According to the police report, A. M. drove a passenger Ford with registration plates from Veles and collided with a parked Suzuki bearing Kavadarci plates.

After measures at the scene and subsequent checks, authorities established that A. M. had 3.21‰ alcohol in his blood. The sentence and the confirmed driving ban follow the investigation and the prosecutor's appeal.

Photo: SDK.MK)