Racers sentenced for death of woman

A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to five years and eight months in jail for killing a woman in a road accident two years ago in Schönenwerd, canton Solothurn.

The two other men involved in the high-speed race that ended with the fatality were each given eight months behind bars and a conditional sentence of 20 months.

The death of the woman set off a nationwide debate on how to crack down on young male racers on Swiss roads.

The three men were trying to overtake each other at speeds of up to 100km/h in fog, when the oncoming car was hit. The speed limit was 50 km/h.

The driver responsible for the crash and his 19-year-old passenger, were uninjured. The two other men fled the scene but were stopped a few hours later.

The judge found the man guilty of manslaughter and malicious injury saying he risked killing other people with his actions.